Help Us Raise the Torch!

I am excited to officially announce a major milestone in our journey to provide an exceptional tuition-free classical education: Cincinnati Classical Academy has finalized the purchase of real estate that will serve as the permanent home for our K-12 public community school. These acquisitions mark the next phase of our mission to cultivate the hearts and minds of young scholars and represent a significant step toward securing a lasting legacy for generations of students.

The acquisitions include our current 30-acre Siebenthaler campus, which we have leased since our founding in 2022, and a 9-acre property on Reed Hartman Highway in Blue Ash, formerly home to engineering firm Belcan, LLC. These campuses, just three miles apart, will serve as the foundation for our expanding school community.

The Siebenthaler campus will continue to host grades K-4, with grades 5-9 at the Reed Hartman campus in 2025-26, with plans to add one grade per year until our high school is complete. By 2029, the first class of Sentinel graduates will celebrate their achievements, equipped with a classical education that prepares them for college, career, and civic life.

The Reed Hartman campus, located adjacent to Summit Park, will undergo a complete transformation. The 100,000-square-foot office building will be converted into an inspiring learning environment for grades 5-12, and a new 28,000-square-foot addition will house a gymnasium and spaces for athletics, music, and other extracurricular programs. Construction began on October 28, and we will welcome students to this state-of-the-art campus in August, 2025.

Securing these campuses was no small feat. Since 2020, we explored over two dozen potential properties, navigating challenges from zoning restrictions to financial constraints. Ultimately, the welcoming communities of Reading and Blue Ash provided the central, accessible locations necessary to serve families from across the metropolitan area.

Funding for this ambitious project has come primarily from the successful issuance of $29 million in tax-exempt bonds. However, public bonds alone are not enough to fully realize our vision. Charter schools in Ohio receive only $1,000 per student for facilities—a fraction of the costs required to provide adequate educational spaces. Unlike traditional public school districts, we cannot levy local property taxes, leaving us with significantly less funding per student.

To bridge the gap, we are launching the RAISE THE TORCH campaign, a $4 million capital fundraising initiative to complete the remaining interior spaces of the new addition and to provide for some upgrades in the main building. These funds will enable us to finish locker rooms, the music wing, wrestling and and strength training rooms, as well as help us furnish the library, lobby, and symposium room.

Your support is vital. Every dollar raised will help us create a campus worthy of our students, a place where tuition free liberal arts education can prosper.

With these investments, Cincinnati Classical Academy will soon boast 39 acres and nearly 200,000 square feet of instructional and extracurricular space, serving 1,300 students with the excellence they deserve.

We invite you to join us in this historic endeavor. Together, let us RAISE THE TORCH and illuminate the path for future generations. For more information or to make a contribution, visit the Friends of Cincy Classical.

Torches Up!