Since opening Valiant Cross Academy in 2015, brothers Anthony and Fred Brock fixed their eyes on the future. They had a vision for a school that would fill in the gap for a faith-based education tailored to young Black men in Montgomery, and they were running toward that reality.

Now, with over 200 students on two campuses, they say it’s time for an expansion.

Come fall 2024, Valiant Cross Academy plans to open an elementary school in the city. Details like the number of open spots for students, a building location and curriculum specifics have not yet been released to the public.

VCA Head of School Anthony Brock announced the growth plan Thursday morning during an event at the middle school campus on Dexter Avenue.

“We know that these young men at the school are amazing,” Brock said. “We’re just trying to get them back on track, filling in the gap. God needs vessels.”

Brock mentioned the high number of homicides in Montgomery — 75 in 2023 — and said that ridding the community of violence starts by reaching kids at a young age in homes and in schools.

“Our goal is to intentionally put more Black men back into homes here in Montgomery, Alabama. That’s the goal we’ve set out to do,” he said.

The elementary school was a core piece of Brock’s pitch to education advocate Janine Yass as to why she should award Valiant Cross her organization’s $1 million Yass Prize, also colloquially known as “the Pulitzer of education innovation.”

Yass and her team were thoroughly convinced, and back in December, Brock accepted the top award in New York City. Valiant Cross is just the third winner of the massive honor, and the school will put much of the funding toward the new elementary school.

Beyond that, Brock said future plans may include opening a new Valiant Cross Academy school in another state and building out a resource center for students in Montgomery.

Among those in attendance at Thursday’s event were Gov. Kay Ivey, former Mayor Todd Strange, Montgomery County Commissioner Doug Singleton and city council members CC Calhoun, Julie Beard, Oronde Mitchell and Marche Johnson.

“Valiant Cross Academy is also a shining example of the tremendous positive change that can occur in a child’s life when they are afforded the chance to obtain a quality education,” Ivey said. “Many parents desire the opportunity to present their children with proven alternative methods of learning. They must not be hindered in their determination to give their children.”

Ivey has repeatedly expressed support for expanded school choice in Alabama, allowing families to use public education funds to access alternatives to traditional public schools. In June 2023, she signed into law a bill to broaden a scholarship program aimed at helping students from low and moderate income families attend private schools.

The expansion to the Alabama Accountability Act more than doubled the schools identified for the program and opened up the income threshold for families to participate.

Yass and members of her team specifically thanked Ivey for her support of policies like this.

“That’s why we’re here today. It’s because of (things) like this, your Alabama Educational Scholarship program that’s active, that’s progressing. There’s a commitment to expand more of the existing money in the state budget for education to have more of those dollars follow more children to the schools that they feel best serve their needs,” Yass said. “A lot of people were on the wrong side of history back in the Civil Rights era, and I think Alabama, going forward, is going to be on the right side of history when it comes to educational freedom.”

Alabama’s new legislative session begins on Feb. 6, and Ivey said she plans to support more school choice legislation, including offering parents the option to create publicly funded education savings accounts (ESAs) for their kids. According to her office, the proposal details are forthcoming.

Leaders at Valiant Cross like Brock have been outspoken advocates for school choice, and with the new elementary school, Brock said it will be just another option for Montgomery’s kids to get educated.

“We don’t think our school is any better than any other schools in America. But we think it’s just as good as any other school in America at the same time,” he said. “We’re unapologetically raising God-fearing men.”

Hadley Hitson covers children’s health, education and welfare for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to the Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Valiant Cross to open new elementary school in Montgomery by fall 2024