Fayette’s Open Campus program will serve students ages 16 and older

Students having trouble with regular high school classes and schedules now have another choice.

Fayette County’s Board of Education gave the go-ahead March 31 to have the Voluntary Alternative School and Evening High School merge to form the Open Campus High School program.

The new combined school will be located at Lafayette Educational Center in Fayetteville, the buildings that once housed the old Fayette County High School.

Assistant Superintendent of Education Lyn Wenzel said the school’s mission will be to provide educational opportunities to students who need to complete requirements for high school graduation outside the scope of the county’s comprehensive high school scheduling.

Wenzel said those opportunities may include students who are home-schooled.

Wenzel said the school would serve Fayette County students ages 16 and older who have failed numerous classes, withdrawn from school, who must maintain full-time employment or would like flexible alternatives.

“This program is aimed at students who would like a transitional high school setting while providing students with optional paths to successful completion of high school curriculum leading to graduation,” Wenzel said. “Students moving to Fayette County must attend their home high school one full semester prior to transferring to this program.”

Responding to questions from board members, Wenzel said the anticipated enrollment would be 150 students aged 16 and over. This compared to 30 full-time students and 140 taking as few as one class in the current programs.

Wenzel said the new school is expected to utilize four certified teachers in core academic areas, one certified reading teacher, one guidance counselor, one graduation coach, one student information specialist, one bookkeeper/secretary, one paraprofessional, one and one-half custodians and part-time administrator.

During the meeting, Superintendent John DeCotis referred to the years-long discussion of having some form of charter school that would operate within the school system. Those discussions and studies resulted in the formation of an alternative school, and later, a voluntary alternative school.

DeCotis said the current financial situation provides a good opportunity to merge the voluntary alternative school and the evening high school into one educational program.

Formation of the open campus school is expected to result in a net savings of four certified teacher positions and a savings of more than $400,000 in the 2009 budget.

DeCotis said no staff from the current programs would lose their jobs in the transition into the new high school program.

Wenzel said the high school program would be individualized and self-paced, with students making a commitment to attendance.

Though not definite at this time, the likely hours of operation will be Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Labs for core academic subjects, including math, language arts, social studies and science, would include online options for instruction and self-paced instructional support.

She said credit recovery and individualized tutoring would enable all students to utilize learning opportunities, with students managing their own school day and completing assignments in an individualized manner.

Board member Janet Smola and others asked about the proposed scheduling and whether it would accommodate students’ work and other scheduling difficulties.

Wenzel said that aside from the scheduled class times, the new school could accommodate students on an as-needed basis and would be contracting with staff by the hour for nighttime classes.

DeCotis said that under the new concept most students should be able to have their academic needs met during the anticipated class times, adding that some of those needs can be met through online work with the Georgia Virtual High School program.

At DeCotis’ recommendation, the board decided that no vote was required and that school system staff should proceed with plans for the new school since the plan involved no new spending and there would be no changes in graduation requirements.

login to post comments