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CEDAR RAPIDS — The Freshman Academy at Washington High School that is “soft launching” this fall will give incoming ninth-graders a “Washington Warrior hug” as they transition to high school, said Breanna Oxley, future teacher at the Academy.

A ceremonial groundbreaking for the roughly $30 million investment was held Wednesday before construction begins to renovate a portion of the high school for a Freshman Academy and build an expansion for the Career & Technical Education facility.

New freshman and upper academies — launching for the 2027-28 school year — will support students’ transition to high school, give them access to “cutting edge technology,” increase their academic skills, and pre

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