LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's West End School is welcoming girls for the first time in its history.
The pre-K through 8 school has taught only male students for the past 20 years, providing a safe environment for low-income students to get a private-school education.
Students are able to attend the school without paying tuition because every student is awarded a scholarship thanks to donations from the community. Now, it's expanding to include girls.
The upcoming school year will start with about 15 girls each in pre-K, kindergarten, first grade and second grade this fall. Each of them were awarded scholarships to attend during a ceremony Thursday morning in the school's gym.
Once the girls classes for each grade are added, West End School will have 300 students divided between girls and boys. Spots are limited, so the application process is rigorous. Prospective students must undergo an academic assessment, and a review of their school history and demonstrated financial need.
The school said it received a record number of applications for boys, with applications still coming in for girls.
While the boys school currently serves about 150 students, the addition of the Girls School doubled the student body's size, necessitating a physical expansion of the campus in order to have the classrooms needed.
"We're giving our kids opportunities to see themselves in the bigger picture," said Greg Ross, the head of the West End School. "Where they're building their culture, their social, emotional learning and also physical learning to be the person that can really impact this world and change the world for the better."
The new building for girls on the West End School campus will feature eight classrooms. It sits on what once was the school’s athletic field, with a new field slated to be built across the street on 36th Street.
A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new expansion where the girls will attend class is scheduled for Aug. 14 on the school's grounds.
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