A group of parents is launching a new private school in Haywood County named the Carolina Academy of the Arts that will be based on arts, hands-on learning, integrated curriculums and an educational track tailored to each student.

“If a child is already above grade level, they aren’t going to have to just hover waiting for the rest of the class to catch up,” said Kim Turpin, who will be the dean of elementary education and will have two children of her own at the school. “Because it’s an arts-based school, there will be a lot of room for creativity. But it is also a college preparatory school, so it will have a high academic standard.”

The school is accepting applications for pre-K through eighth-grade, Turpin said, but the middle school could be delayed if there are not enough applications for the upper grades. It will cost $6,000 a year per student; about half that for kindergarten and pre-K. That is $3,000 less than Carolina Day School in Asheville, which currently has about 50 students from Haywood County attending, according to Turpin. Turpin said the school hopes to attract Carolina Day families who don’t want to commute 45 minutes each way to school twice a day.

“Carolina Academy will be similar to Carolina Day, but will have its own special flavor,” said Turpin. Turpin also compared the school’s philosophy with that of Mountain Discovery Charter School in Bryson City.

Turpin said demand exists in Haywood and surrounding counties for this type of school, pointing not only to students already attending Carolina Day but also to the dozens of homeschooled students and the changing demographics of the area.

“I think there are a lot of young professional families moving into this area who want other educational options for their children,” Turpin said.

Turpin said the school will escape some of the mandated testing required in public schools.

“We will do standardized tests and assessments so that students will know how to take the SAT when it is time for college, but we will not have our hands tied in that sense,” Turpin said. Turpin said the school will focus on life skills, such as teaching Spanish starting with kindergarten. When it comes to physical education, the students will play tennis and golf, go rock climbing or hiking, or even participate in horseback riding and yoga.

No home yet

The only catch is the school has not nailed down a permanent location. The dream is to locate the school at the 73-acre Sanctuary at Valley View Farms, which formerly operated as a no-kill pet sanctuary. But the financial backer securing the loan had a recent death in the family and pulled out.

A bank is unwilling to make the loan unless the organizers can prove they have a committed number of students. Many interested parents, though, are holding their child’s application until they know the school will be located at the Sanctuary, Turpin said.

Bob Venner, owner of the Sanctuary, said he hopes the school can pull it off.

“They are nice people. What a wonderful idea. I would love to see them be successful. But right now, it’s financing,” Venner said.

In the meantime, Venner is actively marketing his property with Century 21 to other buyers. He said he does not want to see the property carved up into a subdivision, however, and would much rather see it go to the school if they can pull off the financing.

Turpin said the school will open in August, even if the first year requires renting out space.

The founders of the school are Roy and Shelia Sumpter. Both will serve as staff, but neither will accept salaries for the first year. The school will have a board of directors. Biographies of the schools founders, teachers and staff are on the school’s web site www.carolinaacademy.org, as well as information on how to apply. Applications must be received by April 1, but deposits are refundable through May.