Plans for the new charter school in Newberry continue to take shape, as a Facebook page was recently created for the school and a new consultant was hired. 

Newberry Community School, currently Newberry Elementary School, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.  

In a post on the NCS Facebook page, Lacy Roberts wrote that she will be working for the school as a consultant, “planning the opening of the charter school.” 

According to her LinkedIn profile, Roberts is a retired educator of 32 years, having served as a school principal for 21 years in several Florida school systems, including Alachua County.  

In the post, Roberts wrote that they will use the Facebook page to share with the public “about charters and our plans.” 

“We are very excited for the future!” she wrote.  

The establishment of the Facebook page comes as the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) continues to appeal the charter school conversion.  

The SBAC’s appeal was scheduled to be heard at the July 16 State Board of Education meeting in Orlando; however, it was delayed. 

In an email reply to Mainstreet a few days before the scheduled hearing, Jackie Johnson, a spokesperson for ACPS, said the charter organizers had been granted 30 days to issue a response to the district’s appeal, adding it would then be heard by the Charter School Appeal Commission (CSAC) on a date to be determined. 

In a follow-up email reply to Mainstreet on Thursday morning, Johnson said the most recent information shared with the district was that the CSAC would be hearing the appeal at a meeting “near the end of this month.” She added that they have yet to receive a date and time for that meeting.  

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.