Custom Class Charter School located in St. George, UT, is a tuition-free, open-enrollment public charter school serving K-12 students opening August 2026. The school serves online students with opportunities for hybrid and in-person activities, giving families meaningful flexibility in how their child learns while maintaining the accountability and funding structure of a public school. They are seeking financing to cover essential pre-opening expenses as it prepares to launch their inaugural school year. The loan will be repaid when the bond closes in Fall 2026 with a secondary source of repayment coming from the State of Utah.
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Rather than a traditional classroom model, the core Custom Class model allows students to learn through customized, home-based, online, and community-connected pathways. Their Family Services Centers are physical spaces designed to strengthen that model by giving families access to in-person support such as workshops, tutoring, counseling, enrichment activities, service opportunities, and community events. The first community center shall be established in St. George, UT. Custom Class is under contract to purchase a 9.86-acre land to develop workshop space and fieldhouses that support their program.
Families select their own curriculum and learning approach, giving the school a broad appeal to Utah's large homeschool community while remaining within a public accountability structure.
The Custom Class mobile app centralizes progress documentation and expense reimbursements, reducing administrative burden for families and streamlining the school's accountability process.
Students choose four of six learning terms throughout the year, making Custom Class accessible to families whose schedules don't fit a traditional school calendar.
Family Service Centers and educator networks provide in-person support and programming, strengthening family engagement and retention.
The loan will be repaid when the bond closes in Fall 2026 with a secondary source of repayment coming from the state of Utah per-pupil education funding.
Custom Class opens its doors this August 2026 with 484 students already enrolled – a strong signal of community demand for a more flexible public school model in Utah. The school receives Utah’s per-pupil state education funding for each enrolled student, providing a reliable, government-backed revenue base from day one.
The school’s online-first design means it can begin serving students on day one without a completed facility. This short-term loan keeps the school on track while bond financing closes for their first community center in St. George. It covers pre-opening essentials — staffing, program setup, and early operational costs — ensuring the team can execute without interruption regardless of timing in the bond closing process.
Custom Class has also been selected as one of only three Utah charter schools to receive a federal Charter School Programs grant of up to $2 million — an independent validation of the school’s model and leadership by a competitive federal review process.
Custom Class is governed by a school board of experienced community leaders, educators, and professionals in charter school innovation, financial planning, and workforce development. They are united by a common goal of providing students with a customized educational model that prioritizes academic excellence and personal development.
Cory Henwood
Founding Executive Director
Cory Henwood is the owner of Empower Education, a consultancy through which he works nationally with schools and systems to design and implement innovative educational models. An experienced education leader specializing in LEA systems leadership, Utah grants, personalized competency-based learning, and digital and online education, Cory has led multiple innovative school models to success including serving as Innovation Director at Iron County School District, where he spent eight years launching new schools and programs such as Launch High School and Iron Online.
Tom Rupp
Chief Financial Officer
