A proposed alternative school for Scranton could save money and keep students in the district.
District officials are now completing a cost analysis of the proposed project and hope to have the former Lincoln-Jackson Elementary School converted into a school for students with behavioral problems by the 2013-14 school year.
"You're always looking to save money, but my driving force is programmatic change," Superintendent William King said. "I'm looking for providing a high-quality education that will meet the need of each individual kid."
Each year, the district places dozens of students in an after-school alternative program or in programs outside the district. Most of the students have behavioral problems. Even if a student is expelled from school, the district continues to be responsible for that child's education.
While officials evaluate the costs of current programs and the proposed alternative school, the school board has started the process of applying to have some of the cost reimbursed by the state.
Preliminary plans were presented last month and include exterior work and making the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The building, at Academy Street and South Hyde Park Avenue, was closed last year when Isaac Tripp Elementary School opened. Renovation work is projected to cost $3.9 million.
Many larger districts in the state already have alternative schools, and several surrounding districts have expressed interest in paying tuition to send their students to Scranton's school, board member Nathan Barrett said. A total enrollment capacity has not yet been determined.
The district is also looking at the possibility of contracting an outside company - such as Camelot, which runs a school in Lancaster - to operate the school. But the district would want to see its own unionized teachers trained and then staffing the school, Mr. Barrett said.
Mr. Barrett, who is a Riverside School District teacher, said the students would get the necessary attention they need. Along with academics, they would learn how to "act in certain situations and certain environments," he said.
The school will be for students in seventh through 12th grades, with the eventual goal to have them return to their home schools, Mr. King said.
"We're not looking for this to be a life sentence," he said. "All around it's good for these students."
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