Tapestry Charter School in north Buffalo is celebrating an expansion. A ribbon cutting was held Tuesday for a brand new, three-story building to house students in kindergarten through 5th grade. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley was there for the opening as it also kicked-off a new school year.
Tapestry Charter on Great Arrow Avenue just got bigger. The charter school originally opened 17 years ago, but with continued growth and more than 800-students in grades K-12, the new building was constructed.
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” declared Hilary Hudson, a Tapestry parent.
Hudson’s daughter started as a first grader at Tapestry. WBFO News asked Hudson why she selected a charter school for her daughter’s education.
“Really – it’s all about the community, I would say because it’s so tight-knit and the curriculum, everything on top of that,” responded Hudson.
The new school building features 25 classroom, a large gym, visual and performing arts areas and STEAM labortory.
One of the key issues this school season is the safety. Tapestry executive director Eric Klapper tells WBFO News both school buildings are secured remains secure.
“We have key-fobbed access for all staff. All visitors have to go through to set of security doors and we have a transaction window where we take credentials and then let them in the building,” Klapper explained.
But as a charter school, they do not have resource officers on campus, however, Kapper noted they have a great relationship with Buffalo Police.
The new building was constructed on the former plaza that once housed the Pam Am Expo in 1901 at Great Arrow and Lincoln Parkway.
“We are at the head of Lincoln Parkway – in that way was the former electric tower and we wanted to give a nod to the former Pam Am Exposition site as a beacon, and so we have a stairway tower that has a winding staircase around an elevator shaft and we were able to light that up as a metaphor for innovation and electricity,” Klapper described.
More than 800 students attend in grades K-12. School leaders hope to serve more than 1,000 students by the year 2020.
