Fayette-Mom: Downtown Fayetteville welcomes new charter school

But, on the inside, big changes have been underway as Fayetteville welcomes a much-needed new charter school. 

It’s just the kind of curriculum Rhonda Merritt-Quador was hoping to find for her second grade daughter.

“Peyton loves music, dancing, theatre and art,” she says. “As a mom, I wanted to combine her passions with her education.”

It sure looks as though Capitol has all the right tools to feed the passions of its creative students. Designers took advantage of what was left behind when the former department store was converted into a family entertainment complex several years ago, a business that eventually folded. The bowling alley is now a stage area with theater seating. A former food court now serves as a large art studio.

Parents say they find the unique atmosphere inspiring. “I believe this environment will allow [my daughter] to think outside of the box and be an active player in her education,” says Merritt-Quador.

An outsider may find it puzzling that a school would look to locate in a downtown area. But the opening is part of an ongoing, successful revitalization of downtown Fayetteville.

Merritt-Quador says Capitol’s location was definitely a factor in her decision to enroll her child. “With the school being in Historic Downtown Fayetteville, I’m hoping the school will be the epicenter of cultural growth within Fayetteville,” she says.

School organizers hope to add grades in the coming years, but in the meantime, the Capitol Encore Academy gives another option to an area in critical need of more school options.