Hmong American Peace Academy celebrates grand opening of state-of-the-art high school

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- It's been a milestone for Milwaukee's Hmong American Peace Academy.  The charter school held a grand opening ceremony Friday at its new high school on north 84th street near Hampton. 

The $30 million building has 38 classrooms, a gym, and a multi-purpose resource center where school leaders hope to open a student-run café and museum dedicated to Hmong history and culture.

CBS 58 Sunday Morning featured the Hmong American Peace Academy and its founder and CEO Chris Her-Xiong on five years ago.

After fleeing Laos 46 years ago, Her-Xiong became the only member of her family to earn a college degree and the first Hmong teacher hired by Milwaukee Public Schools.  In 2004 she opened the Hmong American Peace Academy.  HAPA has grown from 200 students that first year to 1,800 today.

"Forever Forward" is the motto of the high performing school that hopes to eventually build a new elementary school on this same property to have all students share one campus.