IDEA Public Schools to host groundbreaking for new school

IDEA Public Schools, a leading network of tuition-free K-12 public charter schools, is thrilled to break ground and welcome a new campus featuring two schools, IDEA Lopez Academy and College Preparatory to the families of Odessa for the 2025-26 school year. IDEA will host a groundbreaking event to celebrate the monumental achievement at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 30 at the IDEA Lopez campus, 3401 W. Fifth St., in Odessa.

IDEA’s mission is to transform education by preparing graduates to succeed in college and life. Founded in 2000, IDEA serves over 87,000 college-bound students in 145 schools nationwide, including across Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, and Florida. For 17 consecutive years, nearly 100 percent of IDEA Public Schools graduates have gone on to college, with many being first in their family to attend college, a news release said.

IDEA Lopez honors IDEA’s late Acting CEO and Superintendent, Al Lopez.

Lopez was a first-generation college student who paved the way for students to unlock their full potential and make a lasting impact in their communities. He was introduced to IDEA in 2012 as planning for the first campus in Austin was underway. Over the 10 years that followed, Lopez served at every moment the organization needed him. In 2015, he joined the national board, later serving as its chair in 2020 and as Acting CEO and Superintendent beginning in 2021 until his sudden passing in 2022.

IDEA Lopez Academy and College Preparatory will serve as the third campus in the broader IDEA Permian Basin region and will serve grade levels K-2 and 6 in its first year. The new campus will offer a unique curriculum and a college support model which is comprised of people, programs, and culture. IDEA aims to close the opportunity gap and increase levels of achievement by preparing students from underserved communities for success in college and beyond.

Presenters for the groundbreaking include Jeff Cottrill, superintendent and CEO of IDEA Public Schools, Collin Sewell, chair of the Board of Directors for IDEA Public Schools, Annette Macias, executive director of the IDEA Permian Basin Region, and students from neighboring campuses at IDEA Travis and IDEA Yukon.

IDEA Lopez is set to open its doors in August for the 2025-26 school year. Registration is now open, and families interested in applying or in learning more can visit ideapublicschools.org.