Crossroads Academy, an alternative school for students with challenges, such as chronic truancy or behind in academic development, will move from its present location back to the Ripon High School building.
The Ripon School Board, along with members of the administration, listen as Crossroads Academy Lead Teacher Steve Brooks and Pupil Services Director Emmy Jess provide their reasoning for wanting to reintegrate Crossroads Academy back into Ripon High School at a meeting of the School Board in July 2023.
Kerry McCarthy, school social worker for the Ripon Area School District (RASD), and Crossroads Academy Director Steve Books addressed the board Monday, Feb. 19 about details relating to the move. Crossroads Academy has been located in the First Congregational Church of Ripon on Ransom Street for the last 20 years and now is set to move back to the high school.
Brooks noted there are several reasons for the move.“We [will] have a lot more flexibility now, being on campus, to get kids out of the alternative ed setting if they are able to be in Ripon High School elective courses,” he said. “I currently have six kids taking at least one and as many as four courses at the high school, so it’s changed drastically since I took over two years back, and we have more kids participating in things, which I think is good.”
Brooks added that returning to the main campus would benefit the students in other ways as well. Among them is that the sense of community would be stronger, since many of the off-site students feel isolated and not part of the school body.
Another benefit is that the program could reach out to other students who might need the services of the academy, as well as ease of access to other courses, such as English or social studies. Brooks noted a significant time presently is lost to traveling back and forth between classes.
“Being on campus would allow me to be more of a resource for other teachers as well,” Brooks said.
Just because the academy will be located at the high school, it does not mean it will be integrated into the daily climate there. A separate security entrance is under consideration so that students in the program can enter and exit without going through the office along with all of the other students.
“We are currently looking at a location in the school, in the high school building, and there would have to be a couple of changes that would have to happen,” he said. “Basically, just adding another secure entrance to the building. … It would be the only entrance that the Crossroads kids would use, rather than coming in the main office at the start of the day with all of the other students.”
Brooks added it would give him direct oversight of who is coming and going from the building, and would enable the academy to be a part of the high school as a whole, while keeping it separate.
The move would save the district about $24,000 per year in rental fees, an amount that Brooks said he would like to use to hire another teaching aide for his staff. Crossroads Academy plans to open for full operations this fall at the Ripon High School building.
Another off-site school, the Near-Site Special Education Alternative School, is considering a move as well. RASD uses alternative schools run by CESA 6, Fundamentals and the Oshkosh Area School District, and has eight students who use that service at a cost of $318,722 for tuition and transportation costs of $71,697.
Those eight students range from grades 5 to 9 currently, but will be a grade level higher by the fall semester.
RASD Director of Special Education Becky Morrin addressed the Ripon School Board Monday, Feb. 19 about a possible move from the Oshkosh area to the soon to be vacated Crossroads Academy space at the First Congregational Church in Ripon.
Benefits for the move include shorter commutes, enhancing the ability for students to participate in RASD activities, increasing oversight of the program from the district and creating financial savings.
To move the school back to Ripon would save the district about $58,000 over the current tuition charged by CESA 6 and would necessitate the hiring of two full-time special education teachers and two full-time support staff members.
Rent for the school would remain about the same as what the Crossroads Academy was charged, just more than $20,000, but transportation costs would be slashed by more than 50%, from $71,000 to $31,000.
Along with cost savings for transportation, it would be easier for parents to pick up sick children and for doctor’s appointments, due to the school being in Ripon and not Oshkosh.
“We want to put this program a little closer to our school courses so we are able to provide staff, school psychologist support, social worker support, more support from myself, who will help these students with their learning and their ultimate transition back to their home building,” Morrin said.
This was not an action item for the School Board, but rather a briefing of intent by Morrin and her staff as to what they want to accomplish. Once the Crossroads Academy vacates its location at the First Congregational Church, the new school, whose name has not been released as yet, would be able to settle in time for the fall semester. The board will consider approving the move at a later meeting.
