NICOLE TRACY
Reporter
LOCKESBURG – A meeting concerning an application for a charter school to be opened in the city was held on Saturday, to inform the public about the charter school process, and what to expect in the upcoming months.
Dr. Michelle Burgess, President and CEO of JBH Collegiate Academy Public Charter School was on hand during the meeting to explain the process to the citizens of Lockesburg.
Burgess explained the origins of charter schools, as well as benefits of having one. Burgess stated that less than 1% of charter schools close down, making them a good thing for the community. She went on to state that charter schools have smaller class sizes, are federally funded, not for profit, and allows the school to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
The proposed school will originally be able to serve students in grades kindergarden through eighth grade. It will be aligned with the curriculum mandated by the state for schools to teach, but will have more flexibility in teaching style.
Burgess explained that the application process had been mostly completed, but what she needed from the community was a name for the school, and letters of support from the community. The application deadline is on April 28, so any letters would need to be received by her prior to that date.
Members of the community who attended the meeting gave suggestions and voted on a name for the proposed charter school. After a round of voting to narrow the field down to two selections, the name “ Lockesburg STEM Academy” was selected.
Burgess stated that any letters of support could be either mailed to 124 Darter Circle, Lockesburg, AR 71846 or could be emailed to jbh.academy@yahoo.com. She requested that all letters have an actual signature from the citizen writing it.
