Developer Marshall Chesrown says hes pursuing tentative plans to build a private school in the Legacy Ridge subdivision at Liberty Lake that he is developing through Coeur dAlene-based Black Rock Development Inc.


Chesrown, CEO of Black Rock, says the school, tentatively called Legacy Academy, would be developed through the Chesrown Family Foundation, a philanthropic entity he established in 2005.


It would have two classrooms in each grade from kindergarten through 12th grade, with a maximum of 15 students in a classroom.


Hes not ready to release a cost estimate or site plans, but is 80 percent sure were going forward with the project. Weve been working on it for eight months, and were quite a way into the design, Chesrown says.


If the plan proceeds, the school could open late next year.


Were hoping for fall of 2008, he says.


The probable location would be on Henry Road on the west side of Black Rocks upscale Legacy Ridge development, he says.


Tuition hasnt been set, Chresrown says, adding that most students will come from families that can afford private education.


He says, though, that there will be a mechanism through the Chesrown Family Foundation to nominate students from public schools for scholarships based on a combination of need and academic performance.


The school will create a learning environment as opposed to teaching the WASL, he says in reference to the controversial Washington state Assessment of Student Learning test, which is intended to measure students abilities to apply knowledge thats required to graduate from high school.


He adds that the academy would emphasize educational fundamentals sufficient to exceed state requirements without focusing on how to take the WASL exam.


In addition to Legacy Ridge, which is planned to have up to 500 residences, Black Rock is the developer of the exclusive Club at Black Rock golf community overlooking Lake Coeur dAlene and the planned 412-unit Bellerive condominium project along the Spokane River in Coeur dAlene.


Black Rock Development also is planning Kendall Yards, a Spokane urban village envisioned to have more than 2,600 living units and 1 million square feet of commercial space on 77 acres of land on the north bank of the Spokane River, west of Monroe Street.


Contact Mike McLean at (509) 344-1266 or via e-mail at mikem@spokanejournal.com.