School Resumes Plans To Open At Annapolis Mall

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A charter school resumed plans to open at the Annapolis Mall, marking planners' third attempt to debut at the shopping destination.

The New Village Academy is targeting an August 2026 opening in a newly built space on the upper level of the mall. That's two years after the tuition-free high school's initially projected opening date.

"We will be above the Container Store in what was the second level of the old Lord & Taylor," Head of School Romey Pittman told Patch in a Wednesday email. "The school will have a separate, secure school entrance (and no visual access for curious shoppers). It’s a space that wasn’t great for retail, but is perfect for us."

The 50,000-square-foot academy will have a school-based health center.

"That will likely be a year out, since our original partnership with Total Health Care had to be put on hold when threatened federal funding cuts for health care necessitated that they prioritize their existing clinics," Pittman said.

The academy originally planned to open in fall 2024, but the sale of the Annapolis mall that summer delayed the school's opening by a year.

This April, the charter school announced that it would not open as planned in August 2025. Planners cited financing struggles stemming from President Donald Trump's tariffs and federal grant cuts.

The lease has now been executed and is in due diligence. Financing is secured, and construction on the facility will begin as soon as permits can be reactivated and building materials delivered. A ground-breaking ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 18.

The school will be developed through a "turnkey" development partnership with Civic Builders, a nonprofit developer of charter school facilities nationwide. Civic Builders will finance and manage the $11.6 million construction project and will sublease the completed facility to New Village Academy for its first few years of operation.

Once the school has an established financial history in three to five years, it will assume the lease and refinance the loan directly.

"We are so excited to be partnering with Civic Builders and Annapolis Mall to bring this vision to reality," Pittman said in an Oct. 29 press release. "Being at the Mall will allow us to create a vibrant, community-connected learning environment for young people right in the hub of the Annapolis economy, with internships in everything from IT to HVAC to health care, access to public transit, an amazing public library, and rich opportunities for collaborative projects."

The academy's taglines are "high school done differently" and "Annapolis is our classroom."

The curriculum centers on project-based learning, weekly internships and real-world problem-solving. This helps students develop personal, academic and professional skills through hands-on projects and career experience.

The academy partners with local businesses, nonprofits and organizations to connect classroom learning to authentic community challenges and opportunities.

Interested students can apply to the school's lottery at newvillageacademy.org/how-to-apply. The lottery window is open until Jan. 15, 2026.

Related:

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• JCPenney Redevelopment, New Village Academy Stall At Annapolis Mall
• Housing At Annapolis Mall Could Create 'Live, Work, Play' Community
• JCPenney Closes Annapolis Mall Store, Redevelopment Questions Remain