Athens City School board members may authorize a charter school that would educate juvenile inmates across the state after hearing a presentation Tuesday from the Teens Path to Success, Education for At-Risk Youth charter school.

The Athens school board began asking for charter school proposals March 1 and closed the search a month later, according to Director of Innovative Programs Dr. Rick Carter. The only program to submit an application was Teens Path to Success: Education for At-Risk Youth. The TPS program helps incarcerated students around the state get their high school diplomas.

Benefits

Pinnacle Behavioral Health education director Angie Griffin, who would be the director of education at TPS, said the biggest benefit of the program is that incarcerated students ages 14-21 will have the opportunity to earn their high school diploma — an opportunity virtually nonexistent now.

Inmate students may also work on courses ranging from honors classes to college preparation.

“Seventy-five percent of all crimes are committed by high school dropouts,” she said. “They’re going to have difficulty gaining employment, living in poverty, often receiving government assistance and have poor physical and mental health. The higher their education level, the less likely they are to be unemployed.”

Griffin said tax payers may also save money since the possibility of reoffending decreases once a person is educated, thereby allowing him or her to find a job.

Pinnacle Behavioral Health guidance counselor Rick White, who will be the guidance counselor and vice principal at TPS, said the proposed curriculum meets common core and state standards.

“At the end of the day, it’s about making a difference, not only in their lives but communities as well,” he said. “If we’re going to give these young men and women high school diplomas, it has to mean something. That’s the most important thing. When they come out and someone asks them ‘Do you have a high school diploma?’ You want them to say yes, and (say it) with pride because they earned it.”

The facility will have small classroom sizes, 10 students or less, and will separate boys and girls. Offenders involved with the same crime will not be classed together, and high-risk offenders will be in a class separate from others.

Teachers will be hired based on how qualified they are to work with at-risk students and are not mandated to have Alabama state teacher certifications, Griffin said.

“They will be qualified for the job but aren’t necessarily certified teachers — or they are certified in other states but not in Alabama,” she said.

Board concerns

As the charter school authorizer, Athens City Schools will receive a percentage of state funding for the school, but TPS needs 250-350 students enrolled within the first six months to break even.

Board member Jennifer Manville asked White about the program’s services.

“You have $2.1 million listed and a lot of it doesn’t seem like curriculum costs,” Manville said.

White told her therapeutic services are included in the cost, along with the help needed to provide teachers and management services such as oversight for teachers and the facilities.

“All of those will be a direct services to the students,” White said.

Manville then questioned why 37 percent of the personnel cost is non-faculty related. White said that number is fluid and based on assumption of enrollment and funds from the state.

“Facilities determine the start up costs, based on if they’re already equipped with internet, a classroom and supplies,” he said, adding the first year’s cost is a start-up number, so following years may not be as much. “These (numbers) are guesses at best. Another reason for more overhead is that many facilities are spread over the state and we’re going to have eyes to assure what’s supposed to happen will happen.”

Manville and other board members said they would like to see those costs broken down more definitively.

Board member Scott Henry asked what accounting policies will be developed for TPS to ensure the services and funds received for their students won’t go to other projects associated with TPS.

Griffin said the charter school will have its own school board whose only responsibility is to the school. She said there will be a school financial officer and an accountant.

Henry and Manville again asked Griffin how the school planned to be sure no one on the school board was also involved with another project, leading to the possibility of a misallocation of funds.

Griffin did not have a direct answer.

Board members also wanted to know what data would be available for them to ensure the program is helping students. The TPS graduation rate will fluctuate based on if a student enters or leaves the jail and continues to pursue his or her education.

“Are we going to be able to get data to say, because of TPS they got out of jail and went back to school and we saw improvement?” Board member Tim Green asked.

Griffin told him there’s an automatic process in place when students leave, their TPS transcripts are sent to their next school.

Discipline is another area board members showed concern.

TPS would-be security specialist George Smith said all teachers will be certified and receive yearly re-certifications on Satori Alternatives to Managing Aggression — a communications-based deescalation tool.

“It’s taught to every administrator, teacher and individual who comes in contact with a student directly,” he said. “In the event of physical aggression, it instructs how to keep yourself and your students safe.”

Smith said the technique is an invaluable tool when dealing with a student who has discipline or attitude problems.

“We can meet them where they are and give them what they need,” he said.

Carter asked the public to provide board members with feedback. He said once board members make a decision, TPS’ 859-page application will be made available to view on the ACS website. Board members are expected to vote on the charter school at their next meeting May 25.