Alternative Schools Set to Open
Rick Devens
Story Created:
Aug 9, 2012 at 8:53 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Aug 10, 2012 at 1:25 AM EDT
Bibb County students return to school this Monday and some of those students will be the inaugural class of the Bibb Academy of Excellence. That's the name of the county's new alternative school system, made up of three schools, Barden Elementary, Bloomfield Middle and Hutchings Career Center.
"Right now we have staffed our high school and middle school locations. Our elementary school is not set to open Monday. We hope to get them open by Labor Day. Our middle and high school students are comprised of those who finished last spring in alternative school and some that may have gone through evidentiary hearings at the end of last year that will begin this year," says Alisha Allen-Carter, Director of Alternative Education.
A wing of Hutchings Career Center has been partitioned off and renovated to hold the new alternative school. Hutchings and Bloomfield Middle School are each staffed with a coordinator and five teachers. Students at the alternative schools will also be served by the councilors of their previous school.
The alternative schools share space with other schools but they will run independently.
"We have our own schedule. Though we share a building, we're not on the same start, dismissal time. We're not on the same lunch schedule," says Allen-Carter.
The school system hopes these alternative schools will offer troubled students a way back to their previous schools.
"Our ultimate goal is to keep them on track academically. Keep them on track with attendance. And to provide whatever services they might need so that they can complete their tenure at the alternative program and ultimately get back into their traditional school setting," says Allen-Carter.
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