Crossroads High School finds a temporary home at Park University

When Crossroads Charter Schools opens the doors of its new high school in the fall, it will do so at Park University’s downtown Kansas City campus.

Crossroads, a network of three schools including an elementary school and middle school, announced Thursday it is partnering with Park University to use the university’s downtown campus center, 911 Main St., as a temporary high school home through July 2019.

Earlier this year, Crossroads announced it would open a high school in the fall with 30 freshman. It anticipates 70 more student to be added for the 2018-2019 school year.

The high school will employ five faculty and staff members. The charter will use three classrooms at the Park University building.

Kirsten Brown, who is a current teacher at Crossroads, will serve as principal.

“We are excited that Crossroads students will expand their studies in this newly renovated, high-tech, university setting,” Dean Johnson, executive director of Crossroads Charter Schools, said in a statement released Thursday.

“These students give the university a unique opportunity to partner in creative and innovative ways, and support our mutual desire to bring convenient education opportunities to the downtown community,” said Kena Wolf, associate vice president for campus center operations at Park.

Crossroads officials said students will have opportunities to visit the university’s flagship campus in Parkville to gain additional exposure to college life. The charter will host an open house for its students and parents from 5 to 6:30 p.m. June 9 at Park’s downtown campus.

School officials have said they are looking for a permanent location for the high school that would be near the Kansas City streetcar line, which operates on Main Street between Union Station and the River Market.

Crossroads sponsored by the University of Central Missouri, opened its first school in 2013 in an office building in downtown Kansas City and by 2017 enrolled roughly 570 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The idea behind having the schools located downtown is that students would add to the life of the city. And the city’s life — its theaters, public transportation and urban park space — would act as a learning environment for the students.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 7:09 PM with the headline "Crossroads High School finds a temporary home at Park University."