Beacon Hill Community School lights the way for education alternatives
To say David Fisher is passionate about the possibilities for the Beacon Hill Community School is an understatement. Fisher, the curriculum director at Southeast Local Schools, will also don another hat and serve as principal of the new school, set to open in August. The school will be located at the Pier, just south of Mt. Eaton, and will serve a growing seventh- and eighth-grade population of Amish students.
The school is also a fulfillment of a promise made to the Amish community during 2010s crucial election for the Southeast school district. Due to previous budget cuts, the district eliminated 12 teaching positions for the classes of its seventh- and eighth-grade Amish students, who had vocational training. Fisher said the district promised to bring back the program, in some capacity, thus the creation of the Beacon Hill Community School, which will also serve some Amish and Mennonite students from neighboring districts, including East Holmes and Dalton.
“We (the Southeast administration and school board) believe we are true to our word,” Fisher said. The school was chartered through the Tri-County Educational Service Center in Wooster, and is also the sponsor. However, Southeast will serve as its fiscal administrator and staffing agent. Fisher noted the Beacon Hill Community School also has its own five-member appointed board, and two of them are Amish.
There are enough students for the program to offer separate classes for the two grades, and Fisher said there will be more opportunities for the general community.
“We can begin offering eighth-graders high school credit,” he said, due to the teachers all having seven-12 grade certifications. The school will be vocational-based.
“What do you do with a 15-year-old who is not yet fully employed, but not an eighth-grader?” Fisher asked, and then answering his own question, said the school will serve as a “transition period” for those students.
“It will be different because it’s based on hours, and not the number of days, like most schools,” he said. This meant that if a student had a job a couple of days a week, they could attend school on alternate days, or evenings, and those students can take enough credits to pursue a high school diploma.
“We know we are the first in the area to offer this, and we believe, the first in the state or nation, to offer this program,” Fisher said, referring to the Amish and conservative Mennonite students of the school.
There will be at least 20 seventh-graders and 12 eighth-grade students enrolled, with possibly, Fisher said, a dozen high-school aged students. The school will be financially stable with 35 students, “and we have it,” he said. If Beacon Hill hits 50 enrollees, the numbers become “win-win” for the school and district. He did stress the school can limit enrollment and not crowd classes or be forced to accept all students, like a public school system must.
The funding for Beacon Hill comes from state foundation share with per-pupil expenses. It does not, Fisher emphasized, come from the districts where the students live, like East Holmes or Southeast. Districts will have to provide transportation for the students who attend Beacon Hill.
“There are no local levies to pass, and between state and federal funding…we have $150,000 in grant monies per year,” and he added “we are getting our share” of state and federal money for the school. Fisher said that recent proposed cuts to public education in the upcoming state budget will not affect Beacon Hill, because he pointed out the Kasich administration is putting more money into charter and community schools.
Fisher said his job as principal will not be a full-time one, and will involve minimal hours. The salary, he said, will be divided accordingly between the school and Southeast, and he will not be double-dipping nor making more money. He called his compensation as the school’s director “minimal” and there will be two full-time teachers as well as contracted educators at the school.
Beacon Hill Community School will not only serve as a promise fulfilled to voters, but a way to brighten the future of area young people looking for more education and vocational training.
The school is also a fulfillment of a promise made to the Amish community during 2010s crucial election for the Southeast school district. Due to previous budget cuts, the district eliminated 12 teaching positions for the classes of its seventh- and eighth-grade Amish students, who had vocational training. Fisher said the district promised to bring back the program, in some capacity, thus the creation of the Beacon Hill Community School, which will also serve some Amish and Mennonite students from neighboring districts, including East Holmes and Dalton.
“We (the Southeast administration and school board) believe we are true to our word,” Fisher said. The school was chartered through the Tri-County Educational Service Center in Wooster, and is also the sponsor. However, Southeast will serve as its fiscal administrator and staffing agent. Fisher noted the Beacon Hill Community School also has its own five-member appointed board, and two of them are Amish.
There are enough students for the program to offer separate classes for the two grades, and Fisher said there will be more opportunities for the general community.
“We can begin offering eighth-graders high school credit,” he said, due to the teachers all having seven-12 grade certifications. The school will be vocational-based.
“What do you do with a 15-year-old who is not yet fully employed, but not an eighth-grader?” Fisher asked, and then answering his own question, said the school will serve as a “transition period” for those students.
“It will be different because it’s based on hours, and not the number of days, like most schools,” he said. This meant that if a student had a job a couple of days a week, they could attend school on alternate days, or evenings, and those students can take enough credits to pursue a high school diploma.
“We know we are the first in the area to offer this, and we believe, the first in the state or nation, to offer this program,” Fisher said, referring to the Amish and conservative Mennonite students of the school.
There will be at least 20 seventh-graders and 12 eighth-grade students enrolled, with possibly, Fisher said, a dozen high-school aged students. The school will be financially stable with 35 students, “and we have it,” he said. If Beacon Hill hits 50 enrollees, the numbers become “win-win” for the school and district. He did stress the school can limit enrollment and not crowd classes or be forced to accept all students, like a public school system must.
The funding for Beacon Hill comes from state foundation share with per-pupil expenses. It does not, Fisher emphasized, come from the districts where the students live, like East Holmes or Southeast. Districts will have to provide transportation for the students who attend Beacon Hill.
“There are no local levies to pass, and between state and federal funding…we have $150,000 in grant monies per year,” and he added “we are getting our share” of state and federal money for the school. Fisher said that recent proposed cuts to public education in the upcoming state budget will not affect Beacon Hill, because he pointed out the Kasich administration is putting more money into charter and community schools.
Fisher said his job as principal will not be a full-time one, and will involve minimal hours. The salary, he said, will be divided accordingly between the school and Southeast, and he will not be double-dipping nor making more money. He called his compensation as the school’s director “minimal” and there will be two full-time teachers as well as contracted educators at the school.
Beacon Hill Community School will not only serve as a promise fulfilled to voters, but a way to brighten the future of area young people looking for more education and vocational training.
Published: March 23, 2011
