Further growth ahead
Munro Academy considering expansion options as student enrolment rises
Munro Academy is known for its small class sizes, but with student enrolment numbers continuing to rise, it appears an expansion may soon be on the horizon.
The Balls Creek private school, located on Campbell Road, is currently at 85 per cent capacity in its current building and some individual classrooms are filled to capacity.
Principal Douglas Beane couldn’t say much about future plans, however he confirmed the school’s board of community volunteers is considering expansion options.
“We’re seriously pursuing growth opportunities,” said Beane on Tuesday. “Options include bringing in portable units as a short-term solution to a larger build up long term.”
Munro Academy, established in 2009, is distinguished by its Christian worldview integration, and life changing global service opportunities, along with its regular curriculum.
When the school opened it had 17 students enrolled. Today, the school has 111 students.
“Over the last two years our enrolment has doubled,” said Beane. “From last June up until school started in September, we had just short of 50 per cent growth over that time frame.”
Along with local students, Munro Academy is hoping to continue its growth internationally. The school has four international students this year with another expected in the coming weeks.
As part of its recruitment plan, the school has a new international student director, whose role is to support connections and relationships around the world.
“Our international student director just returned from a trip to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul, Korea and she met with families and prospective students there and had a really good trip,” said Beane. “Some of the feedback internationally seems to be that students and families are really interested in the school scenarios that are not saturated.
“Students going to Vancouver and Toronto are often put in situations that if they’re coming from Asia where there is a very high number of Asian students, the English learning opportunities are not near as strong.”
Munro Academy, which has
12 full-time equivalent positions as well as part-time employees, teaches students from Grade Primary to Grade 12. This year, the graduating class will include 12 students, the highest on record for the school.
“We offer a combination of a really solid academic track, plus distinctive classes, which are both religious in nature and strong in terms of world view,” said Beane, noting 85 per cent of the high school curriculum is based on the Nova Scotia Department of Education outcome content.
The cost of attending Munro Academy varies. The first student per family pays $400 a month, while a second student within the same family is charged $310 a month. A third student and additional students from the same family is charged $290 a month.
Beane said the largest growth area in terms of the community and demographic has been within the medical community.
“A lot of doctors who are considering coming to Cape Breton — we need more doctors — they have a series of questions they typically ask, especially if they have children,” he said. “One of the important questions they’re trying to nail down is what’s the schooling options, so to be able
to provide a really great alternative for them is great.”
“The teachers are really dedicated and they work hard with the students and communicating with the parents and it’s really a blessing for the student,” said Beane, noting tours of the facility are always available for parents and students.
The school’s funding is based on tuitions and donations. The school does not receive money from the provincial government.
“We’re a charitable organization, so major capital projects like the original renovation of $1.2 million of the Balls Creek Elementary School and any kind of upcoming additions and expansions are based on donations,” said Beane. “The community is very invested in the school’s growth.”
Donations to the school can be arranged by contacting the facility at 902-270-7771.
For more information about Munro Academy, visit the website www.munroacademy.org.
“We offer a combination of a really solid academic track, plus distinctive classes, which are both religious in nature and strong in terms of world view.” Principal Douglas Beane