At-risk students may get a school

Backers of a school that would target students moving through the juvenile court system want to set up Dream Charter School in Granite School District next fall.

And it looks like the Granite Board of Education is ready to offer its blessing, as few school districts have with charter schools.

"I commend you for wanting to reach this population," board President Sarah Meier said as the board preliminarily approved the charter this week. "I was impressed by this."

Charter schools are public schools that promise increased parental involvement and have flexibility in teaching the state core curriculum. Governed by their own boards, some charter schools have a niche, like environmental studies or the arts.

The Dream Charter School, which would open in August with at least 30 students, would be open to everyone but target students who are on probation or in juvenile detention facilities.

The school would promote academics and help students adapt to societal regulations through behavior modification, small classes and fostering a sense of respect and belonging. It would employ certified teachers, English as a second language specialists, a social worker and counselor, and teach core academics plus decisionmaking, behavior, career and life skills.

The school would partner and share space with Allies for Youth & Families, which teaches at-risk youths to take responsibility for their behavior and become contributing members of society. The school would run during the day; court-ordered Allies classes would take place at night.

Students would be able to stay at Dream throughout their high school careers. That's a different offering than the Success School, a state-sponsored charter school that also resides in Granite District. Success School aims to work with at-risk teens for awhile, then get them back into their regular high schools, said Dream applicant Ann Nowell, who teaches job skills classes and reading for the Allies program.

The board is expected take a final vote on the charter next month.

"We were quite encouraged by (the board's) response" so far, Nowell said. "We're looking forward to the work ahead to open the doors."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com