New lower school building at Charlotte, North Carolina, prep school replaces one destroyed by fire in 2023

The new $13 million lower school facility at Charlotte Preparatory School is twice as large as the one destroyed by fire.

Mike Kennedy

Aug. 20, 2025

Highlights

The building features 11 classrooms, a multipurpose dining hall and collaborative workspaces for faculty.
The fire caused over $2 million in damages, leading to temporary relocations for K-4 students.
Charlotte Prep serves about 440 students from preK to 8th grade.

Two years after a fire destroyed the lower school building at Charlotte Preparatory School in Charlotte, North Carolina, students are starting the school year in a new $13 million facility.

WFAE Radio reports that the June 2023 fire caused more than $2 million in damage and forced students in kindergarten through fourth grade to relocate to modular classrooms.

The school held a capital campaign that raised funds for a replacement facility; the new 24,000-square-foot building is twice the size of the old one.

The new facility has 11 classrooms for K-4 grades, a multipurpose dining hall that can double as a community event space, and collaborative workspaces for faculty.

Charlotte Prep is an independent school that has about 440 students in grades preK to 8.

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.