The iLearn Academy Charter School celebrated the groundbreaking of their new school campus, expected to be completed in August 2022.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place Friday morning to celebrate the construction of the new iLearn Academy Charter School.
The ceremony was held at the new school’s property site, located off Route 16, 1700 Mendioka Lane, in Dededo.
The construction of the iLearn Academy Charter school is Guam’s first school to be built in over 10 years, with the help of the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority and Core Tech International.
GHURA entered into a 20-year loan for $12 million with the non-profit learning institute, with GHURA’s funding for the loan made possible by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant, Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program.
“I want to congratulate the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority on this project— under your leadership Ray and Liz, I have had the honor of attending many groundbreaking ceremonies and ribbon-cutting ceremonies— even like you said, through a pandemic year. This project is a result of creative funding— really creative funding— all within legal parameters— using a $12 million HUD loan. In addition to GHURA’s support, I have to thank Mr. Ho for agreeing with us, that education is worth the investment,” Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said.
According to iLearn Academy’s chief academic officer Rachel Stake, the construction of the permanent iLearn Academy Charter school will benefit students immensely. Since the academy’s establishment in 2015, the charter school started with nine staff members and 136 students, eventually growing to 740 students and a staff of 53. Now, with the new campus construction, up to a maximum of 900 students can be educated by iLearn.
In her speech, Stake thanked iLearn’s faculty and staff for their hard work and dedication to their students.
“The faculty and staff that work here, their dedication to our students and community is astounding, and we would not be where we are today without every individual person who works here, and who speaks life into every student on a daily basis,” she said.
Completion of the new iLearn Academy Charter school’s campus is expected in August of 2022.
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