Texas Charters four hour school. Another educational miracle they've managed to make school disappears too

Charter school offers flexibility to aspiring artists, athletes

Star Charter School, which has earned an exemplary rating from the state, offers four-hour sessions in the morning or afternoon.

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Seventeen-year-old Kevin Fish has won international mountain bike races, has ridden alongside Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and hopes to become a professional cyclist when he turns 19.

To do that, he trains 20 hours a week: four-hour bicycle rides, long runs and practice on a stationary bike. Spending seven hours a day in traditional private or public schools would leave Kevin riding in the evenings - or not at all, depending on homework.

Then his family read about Star Charter School on the Web. The campus, which received the highest academic rating under the state accountability system, offers small classes and four-hour days. And as an open-enrollment charter school, it is public and tuition-free.

"I think we're one of Austin's best-kept secrets," Principal Marsha Hagin said. "We have actresses, gymnasts, musicians. Each is invested in their own thing, but they're also invested in their education."

Full Story here: http://www.statesman.com/news/local/charter-school-offers-flexibility-to-aspiring-artists-athletes-356619.html