The Alberta Classical Academy will convert the Currie Barracks building into a charter school

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 after opening its first primary school in Bridgeland 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.