Lesson in Addition for Charter-School Students

By Paula Wolf

Paula Wolf

La Academia: The Partnership Charter School is getting a major boost with construction of a $1 million family and student center. The center will be built next to the school, which is at 30 N. Ann St., and is expected to be ready when students begin classes in the fall. The Spanish American Civic Association, which does the business management and development for the school, is in charge of the project. The 8,600-square-foot, two-story annex, which will be connected to La Academia by a covered crosswalk, will house a library, classrooms and a multipurpose room that can be converted into a cafeteria, auditorium or gym. Eighty-seven at-risk students, in grades six to 12, are enrolled in the charter school, which is in its sixth year. The family and student center was designed by Tippetts/Weaver Architects and is being built by Wickersham Construction. Its going up at the blighted site of a former Maytag repair shop (once the home of a community policing station) at 38- 42 N. Ann St., which will be mostly demolished, said SACA executive director Carlos Graupera. Work is now under way on the inside. The center, however, will have the same footprint as the old, one-story building, he said, to avoid stormwater problems. The three-story charter school, with four classrooms on each floor, lacked space, Graupera said. It really was limiting us. The school building, which dates from the 19th century, is undergoing some improvements, too, he said. A lot of what we do is neighborhood revitalization, Graupera said. The new structure, which got approval from the Lancaster Historical Architectural Review Board, will give the school the kind of facilities other schools have, and that students expect, he said. A library and classrooms will be on the first floor. Upstairs, the multipurpose room accommodates a cafeteria, warming kitchen and auditorium, and provides gym space for basketball and other sports as well an area for performing arts productions. The center also can be used by the entire neighborhood as the site of workshops, meetings and adult continuing education classes, he said. About half the amount needed for the project has been raised so far, in the form of grants and tax credits. Investors and supporters are Bank of Lancaster County; Blue Ball National Bank; Citizens Bank Foundation; Ferree Foundation; Lancaster County Community Foundation; Lowes Charitable and Educational Foundation; J.F. Steinman Foundation; Sovereign Bank Foundation; Susquehanna Bank; and Wachovia Foundation. The charter school specializes in high-risk students. Some are English-dominant, some are Spanish- dominant, some have huge educational deficits, and some have emotional deficits, Graupera said. What they, and their parents, have in common is a commitment for them to succeed, he said. In the classroom, you will participate and show respect, Graupera said. In addition to teachers, the school includes a number of support staff and AmeriCorps volunteers. The setup is ideal for children who need a small learning community to thrive, he said. One of his cousins, who came here from Cuba speaking no English, attends eighth grade at La Academia and is doing very well, Graupera said. The school also provides wraparound services, which means such extras as counseling for students, after-school programs and adult education, he said. La Academia, chartered by the School District of Lancaster, follows that districts schedule and calendar. We have a very good relationship with the school board and the school district, Graupera said. Theres a waiting list, and no outreach is needed because so many parents want to enroll their children, he said. With the assistance of the National Council of La Raza, La Academia is converting into an early college high school, a transition that should be done in about three years. For students coming in [to the school] in sixth grade, that means you are going to graduate with two years of college credits earned, Graupera said. La Academia is looking to partner with local colleges, he said. The completion target date for the family and student center is the end of this summer, but the students are already growing impatient, Graupera said. The kids keep asking about when itll be finished, he said. They want it done now. Its important for the children to feel that when theyre coming to a charter school, theyre coming to a special place.