Elevate Academy opening Monday, where students will strive to be ‘next-step ready’

IDAHO FALLS — A new career-technical school opened its doors to the public Thursday, to a place where kids will foster their passions and learn marketable skills to prepare them for the workforce.

Elevate Academy’s first day is on Monday, and staff and students were excited as they attended the ribbon cutting and open house for the community to see all the hard work put into creating this one-of-a-kind school.

Monica White, co-founder and chief visionary officer for the Elevate Academy Network, spoke at the ribbon cutting, explaining that the Idaho Falls location is the fourth Elevate school and the first one to be built and ready to open on time.

“Next year, the Elevate Academy Network will graduate 200 individuals who are ready to enter the workforce, be job-ready, and contribute to their communities. Give it a couple of years, and we’ll be up to 280 with east Idaho,” said White. “Those are big numbers of just changing the direction and trajectory of many, many kids and families’ lives.”

The public charter school, located at 1873 North Walton Avenue behind Lincoln High School, will welcome 330 students between grades six and 10 on Monday. Nearly all of them toured the school before the first day.

White also congratulated and thanked one of two charter administrators for Elevate Academy, Logan Waetje, whom she recognizes as the person who brought Elevate Academy to eastern Idaho.

White says Waetje approached her about building an Elevate Academy in Idaho Falls, to which she said she needed a leader — and he stepped up to the plate.

“I go, ‘I can’t build a school without a leader.’ And he said to me, ‘I’m your guy.’ And he wasn’t wrong,” says White. “He has come over here, he’s built relationships, he’s built partnerships, he’s recruited students, he’s helped see this building through. Check out this staff he went out and hired!”

Matt Strong, the co-Founder and director of growth and development for Elevate Academy Network, made a point to thank the faculty, staff, and local businesses who made the new school a possibility – and a reality.

“We can’t thank you enough. The relationships we go through, and the pieces we go through. That’s part of the journey — the relationships — and we hold that dear to our heart,” said Strong. “The good thing is that a lot of you will be coming through this school, seeing the 330 students in here, and getting to watch it in action.”

Waetje also took the mic, telling the crowd his and fellow Charter Administrator Shannon Taylor’s goal is to get their students “next-step ready.”

“Our goal, is when our students leave us after they graduate, that they are next step ready,” said Waetje. “In a few years, we’re going to have a graduating class and those students are going to go out and they’re going to take on the jobs that we need right now in Idaho Falls and beyond. We’re going to turn out the best welders, machinists, builders, health care workers, business owners, chefs, cyber security and computer experts.”

Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper also took a moment to speak about the importance of education and supporting our local community.

“Education knows no boundaries,” said Casper. “Education teaches us how to avoid the limitations of boundaries and how to break down barriers.”

Elevate Academy aims to provide a new kind of education for students who struggle with traditional teaching and learning methods, offering them hands-on opportunities to get a foot in the door of their chosen field in the eastern Idaho community.

“The pace of socioeconomic development is going to accelerate for every student who goes through this program,” said Casper. “We’re going to see an entire generation of kids be lifted out of the high-risk category, and they’re going to be placed into the sweet spots in jobs in this community.”

The school will serve students in grades 6th through 10th, with 11th & 12th grades to be offered in 2025 and 2026.

To learn more about the charter school, visit the website here.