Mike Harner has been appointed executive director of Lionheart Classical Academy in Peterborough, effective November 1. With nearly 20 years at Hillsdale College, where he played a key role in the Barney Charter School Initiative, Harner will serve part-time until transitioning to a full-time role in July 2025. The LCA board expressed confidence in his alignment with the school’s family-centered values and experience in classical education. Eager to collaborate with the community, Harner aims to help Lionheart become a nationally recognized K-12 classical charter school.

Ivy Classical Academy in Prattville, Alabama, celebrated its official ribbon cutting on October 28, 2024, marking the formal launch of the new public charter school. Though it opened in August 2024, the event brought together local leaders to honor the school’s mission of providing a tuition-free, classical education. Serving K-5 students with plans to expand each year, the school aims to graduate its first senior class in 2032.

Governor Kay Ivey visited Ivy Classical Academy in Elmore County on her back-to-school tour, encouraging students to embrace learning and highlighting the support they receive from teachers and parents. The academy is in its first year of operation.