Charlotte Prep Opens $13M Building Two Years After Fire Destroys Campus

A new $13 million school building will open its doors on Aug. 20 at Charlotte Preparatory School. The structure stands where flames tore through the old building in 2023.

At 24,000 square feet, the new building doubles the old one's size. It holds 11 bright classrooms for young students, plus eating areas and support spaces. In just 10 months, the school pulled together the funds. Workers finished the job within a year.

"Getting that phone call was the most devastating period in my entire teaching career," said Maggie Harris, a learning support specialist at the school, according to The Charlotte Observer. "You had 20 years of things we've accumulated and created...When I got that phone call, I cried."

The blaze caused $2.5 million in damage. It took a small army of 60 firefighters to beat back the flames. While no one got hurt, investigators still can't say what started the fire, though they've ruled out any wrongdoing.

Teachers and students made the best of a bad situation. Classes met in any available space, even stairwells, until Oct. 2023. Then, temporary trailers arrived to house the elementary classes.

The school teaches 435 children from the youngest to the eighth grade. Back in 1971, it started as Charlotte Montessori. After moving to Boyce Road in south Charlotte, it became Charlotte Preparatory School in 1998 when middle school classes began.

"Our new facility is second to none," said Todd Ballaban, Head of School, per The Charlotte Observer.

The destruction wiped away years of memories: old yearbooks, handmade teaching tools, lesson plans, and student gifts vanished in the flames. Building costs ran $2 million above initial estimates.

The staff feels whole again, working under one roof. "We were so disconnected from each other," Harris said about their split-up time. "I'm so excited to actually be with my coworkers and for the kids to get to see each other more now."