Charter school plans grade expansion

The Academy Charter School in Palmer will expand beyond its original plans next year to include sixth grade.

When the charter school formed five years ago, it was intended solely as an elementary program. But urged by the school's parents, Academy principal Barbara Gerard requested the Mat-Su Borough School Board grant the charter school permission to include sixth grade next year. The board responded last week with unanimous support for the plan.

"Our parents have requested this expansion," Gerard told the board during a presentation last month where she shared letters of support from parents.

"I would like the choice of a continuation of intensive, individualized and accelerated education for my daughter," wrote parent John Layton.

Others wrote that the school was forming well-rounded, good citizens and offering an approach they would like to see their children continue to be involved with.

"This is just a natural progression in our school's evolution," wrote parent Linda Ketchum.

Next year's new sixth grade will be filled by this year's Academy fifth-graders, with any extra openings being allotted through the process outlined in charter school state law, which includes a lottery.

Gerard anticipated some of the board's concerns, and described how the school's new site on the Old Glenn Highway across from Palmer Airport would be modified to include the additional students. Another portable will be brought in, and Academy parents and staff will handle the site preparation and utility extensions. The necessary additional funding will come from the school's existing budget.

Gerard said the curriculum will also be modified somewhat to offer a program suitable to the older students and will include more project-based classroom work integrating many subjects, such as language arts, math, history and technology.

During Gerard's presentation last month, board member Rob Wells asked if she anticipated adding seventh grade the following year, and then eighth.

"We'll take it one step at a time," Gerard responded.

She said while parents are hopeful for such expansion, she and district administrators have discussed the need to evaluate the decision at each level, looking at both the program and the limitations of the site itself.

Wells pointed out that the district's middle-school program includes sixth through eighth grade.

"If you stop at sixth, how would it affect that student's transition into a middle school program?" Wells asked.

Gerard responded by saying that those students who so far have transitioned into regular schools from the Academy have been quite successful.