District Schools Enroll Hopewell Students

AVON PARK - Parents scrambled to enroll their children in district schools Monday after the county's sole charter school, Hopewell Academy, closed abruptly last week.

Hopewell Academy Director Kevin Dewberry stopped by Sun 'N Lake and Park elementary schools Monday morning to check on some of his former students.

The school was sponsored by the Mid-Florida Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Budget concerns due to low student enrollment prompted the school's board of directors and Mid-Florida Center officials to close down the charter school.

Opening in August 2003 with a focus on arts, Hopewell Academy for the Arts' enrollment peaked with about 73 students in September 2006. Enrollment was 39 at its closing. The school's name was shorted to Hopewell Academy prior to the start of the 2007-08 school year to reflect a focus on academics.
Parents were sad to hear of the closing, Dewberry said.

"Sometimes we don't appreciate something until it's gone, but I guess we really didn't hear how much they really appreciated or enjoyed what was going on out here until this past week," he said.

Once the students are comfortably transferred into district schools, the focus will be on using the campus as a community center with after-school and possibly summer programs, Dewberry said.

Danille Pressley, whose daughter attended kindergarten at Hopewell Academy, said she learned of the school's closing Wednesday evening.

"I'm disappointed. I think it should have stayed open until the end of the school year, but I do understand they have a budget" she said. "The teachers were great; Mr. Dewberry was great and I think it was a great program and great opportunity for the kids to have smaller classrooms for better learning."

As county schools reopened Monday after spring break, Pressley enrolled her daughter at Avon Elementary.

It will be a big adjustment for her daughter going from eight to 10 children in a class to 20 students, Pressley said.

Avon Elementary Assistant Principal Karin Doty said six children from Hopewell Academy enrolled Monday morning at her school along with three other children.

"Usually after spring break, we get a little influx [of new children]; this is a little more than normal because of Hopewell's closing," she said.

The other schools accepting former Hopewell students include: Park, Sun 'N Lake, Fred Wild and Woodlawn elementary schools and the Kindergarten Learning Center.

The Avon Elementary teachers who were getting Hopewell students were notified ahead of time to help make a smooth transition for students, Doty said. If they previously attended Avon Elementary, the students were placed into the classroom with the same teacher they had before.

Dewberry said Hopewell teachers, who are already in the school district's personnel system, will be available to work as substitute teachers and can apply for positions at Memorial Elementary School.

He was concerned about finding new employment for the school's two non-instructional staff members. Contact Dewberry at 452-2418 for more information.