The Greenwood City Council has given final approval for New Delta Preparatory School's groundbreaking.
The school, sponsored by the Viking Foundation, will be built on 8 acres of land off Sgt. John A. Pittman Drive.
It will offer courses for seventh- through 12th-grade students, said Bill Crump, Viking Range Corp.'s director of governmental affairs.
Crump said the school will appeal to students "who aspire to academic excellence and community leadership.
"We'll have a very rigorous specialized curriculum, which will include community service projects," he said. "The students will be encouraged to attain the highest academic and professional success that they can."
Accreditation will come through New Summit School.
Dr. Nancy Boyll, the executive director of New Summit School, will serve as administrator at New Delta.
Crump said it will aim to "serve a more racially diverse population than the public schools and the academy schools in the Leflore County area. The racial makeup, we anticipate, will be reflective of the racial makeup of the community."
New Delta will offer honors as well as advanced placement courses.
Scholarships to the school, both full and partial, will be made available based upon a student's need, Crump said.
Initially, 10 to 15 teachers will work at the school. The initial student population has been set at between 100 and 150, he said.
The school will offer specialized courses, including satellite courses from various colleges and universities, Crump said.
The school shouldn't diminish other schools in the community, Crump said. Rather, "this will provide another alternative for people living in our community or coming into our community," he said.
The school will interview both parents and students to determine if the proper attitude exists in the home.
"Parents have to push that child and encourage that child. It's very important for the parents to be on board," he said.
The council unanimously approved the special exception for development of the school. Crump said preliminary work at the site will begin this week.
In other zoning action, the council approved a special exception to C-2, Community Commercial District, to Willie J. Perkins for residential use of 301 E. Market St.
The council also heard from Jodie Simcox and other residents who live on East Wilson Avenue. The homeowners were requesting that speed bumps be installed on their street to reduce the speed of neighborhood traffic.
Ward 2's John Lee, whose ward includes East Wilson, said he would contact residents within the next day or two before deciding on a course of action.
