Organizers of the Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School envision a performing arts hub that will help change the tide in Wilmerding. It’s already changing Gionna D’Alessandro’s life. Dancing is so important to the South Park teen that she became home-schooled two years ago so her schedule would allow her more time to participate in competitions and practices. Now Gionna, 13, is once again going to attend a brick-and-mortar school, because her parents plan to enroll her in Westinghouse Arts Academy, which will offer specialized training in dance; literary, studio and digital arts; music; and theater when it opens in the fall. “I’m so excited,â€? Gionna said at the recent groundbreaking ceremony for the school that included Wilmerding Mayor Greg Jakub, East Allegheny Superintendent Don MacFann and other officials. The academy being developed by RPA Holdings LLC will open in the East Allegheny School District’s former Westinghouse Elementary School building, which closed at the end of the 2007-08 school year. The academy, for ninth- through 12th-graders, will open Sept. 5 and be the third performing and creative arts school in the Pittsburgh region. Other schools are the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts school and Lincoln Performing Arts Charter School in Beaver County. Wilmerding is a small community that is losing population. It has an estimated 1,766 residents, and 32 percent of them live below the poverty line, compared to 12 percent for Allegheny County, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Westinghouse Arts Academy will offer personalized coursework from mixed disciplines that tailor toward students’ interests, said Amy Heathcott, acting principal for the charter school. “(The academy) is exciting. Students will learn from teachers who are up-to-date with what’s going on in the field,â€? Heathcott said. Testing and graduation requirements are the same as at any other high school in the state, but students will have extended time to work on arts courses. “Our courses are more than just an elective class. Our students will dive into the nitty gritty of their disciplines,â€? said Heathcott, who for most of her career has been a theater educator and professional. Students will have to maintain satisfactory grades in grades in academic subjects to participate in arts programming, she said. The academy will start with up to 200 students but eventually could enroll 750. Students don’t have to have previous arts training to apply, but enrollment will be based on audition performances, interest and presentation skills. “This school is a blank slate, which allows us to start from the beginning,â€? Heathcott said. Home school districts will be responsible for providing transportation for students who live within 10 miles of the academy, as required by state law. Around 70 applications have come in from across Allegheny and Westmoreland County, Heathcott said. Details about the school are at westinghousearts.org. The academy’s building will undergo a $1.5 million renovation this summer that will include a remodeled kitchen and cafeteria, a new side entrance, a vestibule and main office, dance studios and restrooms. In summer 2018, a second phase of work will include a new main entrance at the back of the building, converting the gym to an art space and creation of a TV/audio studio, Heathcott said. The entire project is estimated to cost about $8 million. Initial funding for renovations will come from grants, including a $500,000 grant from the Allegheny Foundation. The academy will apply for additional grants to pay for programs and equipment. RPA Holdings will seek funding for the rest of the work, Heathcott said. RPA Holdings bought the building, constructed in 1936, for $330,000 in 2014. Charter schools are self-managed public schools funded by public tax dollars. Each student’s home school district pays a portion of its average per-pupil cost to the charter school for each student enrolled there. Charter schools must be approved by the school district in which they are located, and that often leads to rifts — and rejected applications — as school districts see charter schools as siphoning money from traditional public schools without providing a better education. That wasn’t the case with the East Allegheny School District, which approved the Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School in February. The academy is not a mainstream charter school, but a specialized arts academy, so the district didn’t see it as a conflict, school board President Gerri McCullough said. “I see the school as an exciting step to offer students an opportunity to reach their dreams,â€? she said. Tory N. Parrish is an Upgruv staff writer. Tribune-Review staff writer Samson X Horne contributed. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.