SR1 CPSA adds fourth grade for 2026-27

SR1 College Preparatory & STEM Academy will expand to fourth grade in the 2026–2027 school year, extending the Mississippi charter school’s annual grade-by-grade growth in Canton. The move follows a year of strong reading results, including 88% of third graders meeting state ELA standards on their first attempt.

Why it matters: - SR1 College Preparatory & STEM Academy is adding another grade as demand and performance continue to support its step-by-step growth model. - The expansion gives more Central Mississippi students access to a tuition-free STEM and college-prep charter school. - Strong early literacy results suggest the school is building academic momentum as it scales.

What happened: - SR1 CPSA announced it will add fourth grade for the 2026–2027 school year. - The school has expanded one grade level each year since opening. - SR1 CPSA currently serves kindergarten through third grade in Canton, Mississippi. - Enrollment remains open through July 30. - Families can apply, schedule a tour, or learn more.

The details: - Third-grade scholars posted a record year, with 88% meeting Mississippi English Language Arts reading standards on their first attempt. - That result outperformed every charter school in Mississippi. - The third-grade reading rate also exceeded the 2025 statewide average by nearly 13 percentage points. - Sixty-nine percent of kindergartners finished the year reading at or above benchmark. - SR1 CPSA says it will add fifth grade in the 2027–28 school year. - Dorlisa Hutton, vice president of SR1 CPSA, said the school adds one grade each year only when scholars are ready, families are supportive and results show the model works. - SR1 CPSA describes itself as Mississippi’s first and only STEM-focused college-preparatory public charter school. - The school integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics into a college-preparatory curriculum beginning in kindergarten. - Small class sizes, individualized instruction and hands-on learning are part of the school’s model. - SR1 CPSA says its approach is designed to build literacy, leadership and critical thinking skills early. - SR1 CPSA is based in Canton, Mississippi.

Between the lines: - The grade expansion points to a school trying to grow without moving faster than its academic results. - The reading data is the clearest signal that the school wants to use performance, not enrollment alone, to justify the next phase of growth. - The planned move to fifth grade in 2027–28 suggests SR1 CPSA is building toward a full elementary pathway.

What's next: - SR1 CPSA will open fourth-grade enrollment for the 2026–2027 school year. - The school is expected to continue its annual expansion plan with fifth grade in 2027–28. - Interest may rise before the July 30 enrollment deadline as families weigh the school’s test results and tuition-free model. - More information is available on the school’s website.

The bottom line: - SR1 CPSA is scaling carefully, and its latest expansion suggests the school is using academic gains to fuel continued growth.