WOODBURY, MN (WNN) – The Woodbury Planning Commission Monday recommended approval of a permit for the Woodbury Leadership Academy that would allow the school to add grades 9-12.

The academy is a public charter school that serves elementary and middle school students at a campus on Globe Drive off Hudson Drive near Tamarack Village. The academy would add 300-400 high school students by using a portion of a second building on the campus, bringing its student population to between 1,200 and 1,300.

“We’re pleased that our school is growing and serving approximately 60 percent of our students are from the city of Woodbury so we feel like we are a good service to the community,” Jonas Beugen, academy superintendent, told the commissioners. 

The academy hopes to eventually use all of the building space at 8147 Globe Drive and control the entire campus. But for now, a few commercial tenants will remain.

The campus was built by the Minnesota School of Business/Globe University as a corporate headquarters and post-secondary education location. It operated that way from 2007 to 2017. In 2018, part of the campus was converted into school space for the academy.

“I’m excited by your growth,” Marcia Kennedy, planning commission member said.

The city council expects to consider the conditional use permit at its June 11 meeting. Construction would begin as soon as possible with the goal of having the added space ready by August. The academy may also add a gymnasium to the campus in the future.