A former office building now houses a first-of-its-kind school for Dakota County students.
Great Oaks Academy, located at 3560 Blue Cross Road, is the first charter school in Eagan, said Jill Hutmacher, director of community development for the city.
A public charter, Great Oaks “is a classical education school whose mission is to cultivate the minds and hearts of our students through a classical, liberal arts education with instruction that is rigorous, literature-rich, wondrous and virtuous in a disciplined and engaging environment,” said Great Oaks Director Paul McGlynn in an email.
The second location for the charter, which launched in Farmington in 2020, the Eagan school welcomed its first class of students on Sept. 2, McGlynn said.
The Farmington campus, located at 115 Elm St., includes grades K-5 while the Eagan location, situated on a 16-acre lot, is for middle and high school students.
Charter curriculum
Charter schools are independent public schools of choice that do not charge tuition, as described by the Minnesota Department of Education. Launched and operated by parents, teachers and community members, charter schools are funded by tax dollars and subject to regulation by the Department of Education.
As a public charter, Great Oaks Academy is funded by state and federal money, McGlynn said.
Charter schools can opt for a curriculum that differs from nearby public schools. For example, Great Oaks has chosen a classical, liberal arts approach that implements phonics, proven math instruction, works of literature and global history, McGlynn said.
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“It develops moral character in students with an ability to critically think about the world around them and offers them lifelong learning skills,” he said.
“We prioritize Great Books from the Western Tradition rooted in ancient Greek and Roman culture, and primary texts instead of textbooks,” according to the charter. “We teach Latin and grammar, and believe character is as important as intellect.”
Charter schools employ licensed teachers, offer programming for students who require special-education services and administer state assessments.
There are approximately 170 charter schools in Minnesota serving roughly 70,000 students, according to MDE.
Similar to private and parochial schools, the new charter school represents competition for Independent School District 191, which includes Burnsville, Eagan and Savage.
As a “PreK-12 Pathways District,” ISD 191 removes barriers and ensures equitable access for all students, centers students as decision makers in their learning journeys and promotes a future-focused mindset, said Aaron Tinklenberg, communications director for the district, in an email.
“District 191’s Pathways model provides all students with age-appropriate experiences through which they explore possibilities, develop the skills and attributes they’ll need to succeed, find their passions and prepare for their futures,” he said.
Parent’s perspective
Karrie Krear said her son was in first grade when he started feeling bored at school.
Parent Karrie Krear at the newly-opened Great Oaks Academy in Eagan on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
A student at Farmington Elementary at the time, her son was moving quickly through the curriculum, she said.
Krear met with school officials, hoping to find a solution, but, “at the end, they said there was nothing they could do,” she said.
Then Great Oaks began advertising in the community around the same time.
“We were looking for a different and better education,” said Krear, whose son joined Great Oaks Farmington in 2020 and is now a seventh-grader at the Eagan location.
“It’s much more rigorous than public school,” said Krear, who now serves as the Great Oaks Academy Parents Association’s chair.
Students at Great Oaks are taught cursive and begin learning Latin in first grade, Krear said, adding that the students do not heavily rely on technology like iPads or computers in the classroom.
“My son needed extra challenges and Great Oaks has met that,” she said. “They meet the student where they’re at.”
Eagan location
Formerly Delta Dental, the nearly 65,000-square-foot Eagan building was sold to an affiliate of the school, SYH Great Oaks Academy LLC, for $5.66 million earlier this year, according to documents filed with the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
In December, the Eagan City Council approved up to $18 million in private activity bonds to finance the building acquisition and its renovation, according to city council documents.
Council member Mike Supina cast the sole opposing vote against the bond package.
“As impressed as I am with the school, I haven’t seen yet the argument that says, ‘This is why it benefits your city,’” Supina said at the council’s Dec. 3 meeting.
The remodel of the former office building included the construction of about 30 traditional classrooms, art rooms with kilns, science labs, a band room, gymnasium and cafeteria, McGlynn said.
Dakota County was chosen due to the fewer number of charter schools in the area, McGlynn said. Other charters in the county include Academic Arts High School in West St. Paul, Seven Hills Preparatory Academy in Burnsville, FIT Academy in Apple Valley and Discovery Charter and STEAM Academy in Inver Grove Heights.
At the Farmington school, there are roughly 450 K-5 students this year. The Eagan school currently serves 216 students from fifth to ninth grade.
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“The Farmington site provides us with a centrally located area that is accessible to many communities,” McGlynn said. “The Eagan site provides our families with a beautiful campus of 16 acres and a wonderful building that fits our capacity for upcoming growth.”
Great Oaks Academy tour
What: Grand opening celebration
Where: Great Oaks Academy’s Eagan campus at 3560 Blue Cross Road
When: Tuesday, Oct. 14; business leaders invited 2-4 p.m.; family and community invited 4-7 p.m.
Details: http://pipr.es/Euc4ZOT
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