NEIGHBORHOOD. WVTM 13’S BREA DOUGLAS WAS THERE AND JOINS US LIVE. HOW MANY STUDENTS WILL BE ATTENDING THE SCHOOL, BREA? BREA: GUY, THE SCHOOL WILL REPLACE WHERE A CHURCH USED TO BE AND IT WILL TAKE IN 420 STUDENTS. THE WOODLAWN NEIGHBORHOOD BATTLES DESOLATION. THEREFORE, THE SIGHT OF CONSTRUCTION GIVES NEIGHBORS LIKE GUS SMITH A REASON TO BE EXCITED ABOUT AREA REBIRTH. >> IT WAS SO DEAD AND DESERTED. NOW THE NEIGHBORS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SCHOOL. BREA: THE HEAD OF I3 ACADEMY MARTIN NALLS UNDERSTANDS THE SCHOOL’S JOB IS TO EDUCATE, BUT RECOGNIZES ITS POTENTIAL FOR EVEN MORE. >> MY HOPE IS IT WILL BRING FAMILIES TO THIS COMMUNITY. RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF ABANDONED HOMES. BREA: THE SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT IS TO INFUSE IMAGINATION, INVESTIGATION, AND INNOVATION INTO ITS TEACHINGS THUS THE NAME , I3 ACADEMY. >> THE TEACHERS WILL TEACH THE STUDENTS. BUT WITH A GREAT FACILITY, IT ATTRACTS ATTENTION, SO WE HAVE THE BUILDING AS THE ICING, BUT THE EDUCATION WILL COME BY GREAT TEACHERS. BREA: A CONCEPT SO ALLURING THAT EVEN SMITH WANTS TO BE A PART OF IT. >> ME AND MY WIFE WERE TALKING. I SAID, I WISH WE COULD GO BACK AND COME TO THIS SCHOOL. [LAUGHTER] BUT WE HAVE GOTTEN TOO OLD. BREA: APPLICATIONS FOR THE SCHOOL WILL BE ACCEPTED ON OCTOBER FIRST. AND THE SCHOOL IS SET TO OPEN NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM, BREA DOUGLAS, WVT