Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette Kaisa Laho prepares to cut the ribbon for the dedication of the new gymnasium at Copper Island Academy in Calumet on Monday. To the right of her is Matt Laho, director of operations for the school and the master of ceremonies for the event.

CALUMET — About 200 people gathered outside the doors of Copper Island Academy’s new gymnasium on Thursday to witness a ribbon-cutting and to see what was inside.

They were not disappointed with this 12,000 -square-foot edifice on the campus of Copper Island Academy, the area’s only charter school, located near the Houghton County Airport. The school opened in 2021. The new gym is home to several basketball courts as well as volleyball courts and can serve as a multipurpose space.

“It is better than I expected,” said Carol Pelli, who has a daughter at the Academy.

Jared Johnson, who has two children in the school, echoed a similar sentiment.

“It is incredible,” he said. “I am excited as we get to put it to use.”

Matt Laho is the director of operations and instructions at the Academy which currently is a K-8 institution with more that 345 students. As they grow, they hope to add a high school. He said they are already at an enrollment of 425 for next year.

Laho said ground was broken last school year on this construction project. Moyle Construction was the main contractor.

“This is only going to help us grow,” he said. “Gratitude goes out to all the families who choose Copper Island. It was community effort to launch this school and continues to be one as seen by this outpouring today. We just have a really supportive community.”

Once the ribbon was cut by 12-year-old Kaisa Laho, attendees were able to come in and enjoy the school’s annual science fair and STEM activities hosted by local businesses and Michigan Tech students.

“In the past two years, we were packed inside our school,” Laho explain. “However with a building like this, you can see it is so much better with all the space.”

Fifth-grader Briar Benda was all smiles as he stood by his science project, which won a first-place ribbon.

He said, “I tested tape to see which tape could hold the most weight. Gorilla Tape won.”

As he made his way around the gym greeting parents and students, Laho noted that this is just the start of another round of growth.

“We want to add some more classrooms and bathrooms (onto this building) due to the growth that we are experiencing,” he said. “The (enrollment) numbers are there.

“In the meantime, we have already had a volleyball practice. Basketball will follow, and we are looking at the possibility of open gyms and maybe a summer camp for those two sports. The goal is to have this be a space for students to come and enjoy this place during school and during after-school hours.”