Ivy Academy, a tuition-free public charter high school in Hamilton County, is on schedule to open this fall with approximately 60 ninth graders, officials said Wednesday.

The group must first get approval from the County School Board, and school officials recently were not optimistic that the new school would meet the requirements.

The school, which is planning to locate near North Chickamauga Creek Pocket Wilderness in Soddy Daisy, will offer students a non-traditional school setting with small class sizes and hands-on learning in an outdoor environment.

Marie Daly, executive director, said, "Finding the right location to meet the innovative curriculum has been a challenge. The school has considered several locations in the Chattanooga area, but finally settled on the Soddy Daisy site, which provides a safe environment for education and exploration.

“This is not the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom environment. Our hands-on, experientially-based curriculum requires access to outdoor as well as indoor classrooms. We had to find the right location to meet those requirements.

”Settings for learning include 40 acres of wilderness adjacent to Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) land, as well as portable buildings with indoor classrooms and workstations. The curriculum will meet the standards for the state of Tennessee, and will also include life skills classes, outdoor classrooms and longer class periods.

"Ivy Academy’s engineering firm is working closely with the Soddy Daisy Planning Commission to make sure the physical facilities meet all building and safety code specifications. But that’s not what makes Ivy Academy special - it’s the teachers and the curriculum. Ivy Academy has selected a strong team of energetic teachers - most with masters’ degrees - who are excited about the prospect of being able to work in this learning environment, with only 10 to 14 students per class. And they’re excited about the curriculum, which is based on a concept called Integrated Themed Learning. This means that students learn basic concepts in a real-world context. Instead of asking “why,” students understand how learning is relevant to their personal lives."

Rhonda Thurman, District 1 representative on the Hamilton County Board of Education, said, “It’s a great opportunity for students who want this kind of curriculum.”

Ivy Academy’s Parent Night will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Mile Strait Baptist Church, adjacent to the school’s property at 8448 Springfield Road in Soddy Daisy.

For more information please go to www.ivyacademychattanooga.com or contact Marie Daly, Executive Director, at 423 902-2522.