TOLEDO, Ohio — Athletics and education: that's the foundation of a new charter school opening this fall in Toledo.
Western Toledo Preparatory Academy is a new tuition-free charter school accepting students from kindergarten through seventh grade for the fall semester.
Principal Kechan Jonson said it has the potential to be "more than just a school" because it's the first of its kind in the city.
According to Jonson, not only will students get a quality education, but part of their day will be focused on athletics and physical activity.
"When kids come and they want to be in sports, and they want to compete athletically, and they want to compete academically, we're tying those two right together," Jonson said.
The idea follows a new education model that's currently in use across the U.S. Kids spend part of their day in classrooms before transitioning into physical activity.
Right now, the academy is only accepting around 225 students.
"We want to keep our class sizes down so we can focus on our students and our athletes. The smaller the class, the more our teachers can focus on them, so that's our concept," Jonson said.
Leaders also hope a school like this will give students an outlet to excel in school and stay off the streets.
"This is huge for our city, especially with what's been going on as far as crime. We're trying to take some of that crime off the streets and put them in the gym or on the court," Jonson said.
You can find more information about the school and registration here.
Western Toledo Preparatory Academy is also offering free summer camps for Toledo youth through the month of June.