Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Charter School Set for Construction on Florida College Campus

  • By Matt Jones
  • 02/16/21

The construction of Pinecrest Lakes Academy Middle/High School, a Florida charter school, is set to begin this year on the campus of Lake-Sumter State College in Clermont, Florida. The school is scheduled to open its doors to students in August 2022.

Pinecrest Lakes opened in 2017 as a K-8 school and has a current enrollment of about 750 in those grades. Additionally, 67 high-school freshmen have begun taking classes on the college’s campus. The school plans to admit tenth grade students during the 2021-22 school year and eleventh grade students in 2022-23. The first senior class is slated to graduate in 2024.

The charter school connected with the college about a year to a year and a half ago, according to Pinecrest Lakes Principal Cristina Alcalde, when it became a member of the Health Sciences Collegiate Academy. The lease is part of a STEM education partnership among the college, Lake County Schools, Montverde Academy, the University of Central Florida, and South Lake Hospital.

According to LSSC President Stan Sidor, “Together, we will create pathways for secondary students to work toward credentials and college credit that will accelerate their degree completion and improve the health and wealth of our local economy.”

Pinecrest Lakes is a member of Pinecrest Academy Inc., a charter school network with locations in five Florida counties and one Nevada county.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.