The charter school will transform the Curry Barracks building

A 70-year-old Curry Barracks building in southwest Calgary has been transformed into a new charter school.

The Alberta Classical Academy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new campus on Friday.

The school is free and focuses on the liberal arts.

It serves 400 students in grades K through 8, with plans to expand to 12 in the next four years.

The academy says it has seen strong demand for enrollment since Bridgeland I opened its first elementary school in 2022, and the new campus has a waiting list of 1,200 people.

Last year, UCP committed $117 million to expand charter schools in Alberta, creating 2,000 more student places.