Gem Prep announces location for new charter school in I.F.
An architectural rendering of Gem Prep in Idaho Falls. | Courtesy Image
Gem Prep — a K-12 free public charter school network focused on college preparation — has announced it will have a new school on the north side of Idaho Falls, according to a press release.
The 45,000 square-foot campus, located off North 5th East, is set to open in August 2026, according to the release. Gerald Love will be the principal.
Love has been a principal within the Gem Prep organization for nine years, previously working at Gem Prep: Pocatello and Gem Prep: Nampa.
Before joining Gem Prep, Love was an assistant principal, Spanish teacher, and chair of the foreign language department at North Shore Senior High School in Houston, Texas. Love holds a master’s degree from Lamar University in Houston, and a bachelor’s degree from BYU-Idaho.
“I am passionate about education and expanding college access for all students,” Love said in the release. “Throughout my administrative career, I’ve worked to support this vision, and it’s been rewarding to see so many Gem Prep students thrive. I am committed to creating an environment where every student has the opportunity to graduate with an associate degree, ready for a bright future.”
Gem Prep’s academic approach for elementary students often involves students working in content above their grade level, according to the release. For high school students, it involves taking dual credit college courses to obtain an associate degree by the time they graduate.
As previously reported by the Post Register, Gem Prep was previously looking to build a new school off Greenwillow Lane in Ammon in 2024, but the institution sold the lot after Ammon residents spoke out against the school’s location due to traffic concerns.
Gem Prep has invited the public to an information session with Love at the Idaho Falls Public Library on April 23 at 6:30 p.m. It will be held in meeting room one and will go over the academic focus of the school, lottery registration process, and extracurriculars the school will offer.
Those interested in attending may sign up at https://tinyurl.com/mjmen25. Those interested in learning more may sign up for updates at https://gemprep.org/idahofalls/.