North Star Charter School wants to add the outdoors to its academics

North Star Charter School in Eagle plans to transform six acres of rough, grassy area into a football field encircled by a track, a bigger playground, a fenced-in court sports area, a fitness circuit and more parking.

The three-year, $2 million campaign that started in fall will add the outdoor elements that North Star has lacked for its first 14 years, said Joanna O’Donnell, the school’s development director.

“We do very well academically but we have this large piece of property that is underutilized,” O’Donnell said. “We see that fitness in general directly correlates to academic success.”

The Eagle K-12 school hopes to build at least parts of the first phase this summer in what is expected to be a three-phase project to be built out this year and in 2018 and 2019, O’Donnell said.

The $300,000 first phase includes expanding an existing small playground, building a 40-by-20 foot, covered outdoor classroom plaza; installing a fenced-off 84-by-44-foot sports court area for basketball and other court sports; and adding a five-station fitness circuit, O’Donnell said.

North Star has raised $160,000 of the $300,000 needed for the first phase from parents, teachers, staff and board members. The school will now turn to corporate partners, foundations and grants, she said.

In summer 2018, North Star wants to expand the parking lot by 47 spaces and add a drop-off area, estimated at $475,000 to $575,000. The third year would involve building a track with a football-size field in the middle that could serve other field sports, including softball, estimated at $775,000 to $1.1million, she said.

“We want to expand our athletic offerings for our high school,” O’Donnell said.