New school coming to Twin Falls

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — With brick and mortar locations in Pocatello, Meridian, and Nampa, in addition to a statewide virtual academy, Gem Prep is paving the path toward becoming educational leaders in Southern Idaho.

“We are a free K-12 public charter school with an emphasis on college prep,” said Adam Bruno with Gem Prep. “Our goal is that by the time our scholars graduate high school, they will have at least 18 college credits and a whole 60% will graduate with an associate’s degree.”

Officials said a focus on small class sizes and college prep sets their school system apart. And Bruno believes a potential location for their Twin Falls campus will only add to their offering.

“It’s a beautiful spot. It’s going to have a beautiful view of the canyon,” said Bruno.

That spot is located at Federation Point near Washington North. While it’s not yet a done deal, city spokesman Joshua Palmer said this is a private property that has featured in city discussions for two years.

“In that area, we’ve had a lot of discussion from the developer about what they would like to go in there over the course of the past two years,” said Palmer. “There’s been conversations about everything from mixed-use to just residential, there’s also been conversations about the height variance there that would be allowed.”

The Planning and Zoning Commission did approve a zoning agreement request to potentially build the school at this location.

It’s a process Palmer said the city does in order to ensure residents have a say in changes within the community.

“We grow and develop together as a community, we want to make sure we’re helping our residents in their best interests,” Palmer said.

Gem Prep hopes to open its Twin Falls campus in 2023, with the school initially opening as kindergarten through 5th grade before eventually accommodating K-12 students.

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