A new charter school is coming to Johnston County. In a unanimous vote Monday night, the Clayton Town Council approved plans for Johnston Charter Academy.
The Michigan-based National Heritage Academies plan to build a K-8 grade school on 8 acres of land between the Wal-Mart Shopping Center and the ABC Store on US 70 West. The school will have a capacity of 772 students and 153 parking spaces. There will be no buses.
According to Stacy Beard Public Information Officer with the Town of Clayton, the new school will have an impact on traffic. A study shows 924 trips will be added in the morning peak hours and about 600 car trips in and out of the school during the peak afternoon hours on Financial Drive. The westbound turn lane into Wal-Mart will be extended just over 500 feet and Financial Drive will also be extended. There will be a long flowing driveway at the school to stack up cars waiting to drop off and pick up students each morning and afternoon.
The school asked the Town to waive putting a sidewalk on one side of the Financial Drive Extension and the board agreed to the request.
Johnston Charter Academy will be the second charter school in the county. The first charter school, Neuse Charter originally opened in Selma but later moved to Booker Dairy Road in Smithfield.
Parents are already inquiring about how to place their child on a waiting list for the new school. The only information for parents and prospective teachers looking to apply to work is on the Johnston Charter Academy website.
The charter school was approved by the NC Board of Education earlier this year. The new school could be open by the Fall of 2017.
