Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Sweet Home Charter School opened last week a little behind other schools as final inspections of its facility were completed.
The school opened on Sept. 11 with 73 students.
School convened in Sankey Park for the first couple of days, said Mary Northern, interim administrator. School started in Sankey Park on Wednesday, then moved to the Church of Christ at 18th and Long.
“We were in school after 9 o’clock I think,” she said. “Each class walked over from the park. It went well. It was a great time to get to know each other.”
The school has a 90-student cap, Northern said. It has openings in kindergarten, especially the afternoon session. The school also has one or two spots in the first and fourth grades. A second- and third-grade blend is full.
Classes are capped at 18 students.
The second and third grades were combined because the school did not have enough students in those grades to run two full classes.
Parents are welcome to apply to the Charter School, Northern said, but “our thought is we don’t want to go too far into the year and (then) create a split in second and third.”
The Charter School is located in a building at the Church of Christ that includes classrooms and a fellowship hall. Volunteers spent August getting the building ready for school.
“It’s a great little facility,” Northern said. School officials and parents are still working on a few details, like computer hookups. “We got telephone systems operational not very long ago.
“All in all, it’s great. We’re working out all the computer systems. We hope to soon be hooked up through the ESD (Education Service District) and the Department of Education.”
Northern is ecstatic about the school opening after a roughly two-year process, she said. “I think we’re all excited to start. I’m speechless basically.”
She praised School District 55 officials for the interest they’ve taken in what’s happening at the Charter School.
“It’s been great,” she said. “The superintendent, the business manager and at least three or four of the board members have come and walked through the building.”
The district’s special education department also has been outstanding, she said.
“I’m excited,” she said. “The parents are excited. The teachers are excited. I cannot believe how the Sweet Home parents have just gotten on board. They’ve just gone above and beyond.”
Sweet Home parents have gotten together, painted and upgraded the building, she said. “It’s been a real eye-opener about Sweet Home. There’s a lot of enthusiasm in Sweet Home.”
Northern is serving as interim administrator at the school until the school can hire a permanent administrator, she said. “I’m just there to help the teachers in whatever I can.”
The school employs four teachers. For more information about the school, call 367-1833.