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Schools

Leaner AHA Closes One Chapter, Begins Another in New Location

American Heritage Academy students and teachers say goodbye to 2126 Sixes Road.

After a tumultuous year that included , , and ,  students and teachers have walked through 2126 Sixes Road for the last time.

"It’s absolutely sad," said parent Lori Burns, whose rising fifth grader will not follow classmates to a . "It’s been very difficult, with lots of tears and emotions from teachers and people who have been there from the beginning."

June 3 was the final day of classes at the school, which served 325 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. And this was the final week for teachers like Amy Johnson.

Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"While this happens each year," she said, "this time, the reality that no one would be seeing any familiar faces returning in the next year was overwhelming."

A leaner version of the school will open in the fall and go up to ninth grade. On May 16, the approved a conditional use permit that allows American Heritage Academy to move into the .

Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Initially, Burns and many others felt strongly about saving the school.

"We were: ‘Go AHA,’ ‘Let’s do this,’ 'We can build from this and overcome adversity and continue on with our great teachers,' " she said. 

In an effort to salvage the school, to put together . The school's board of directors ultimately rejected the plan, Burns said.

Committee members and many other families stood behind the school until May, when the board notified the AHA community that there would be no further involvement from the parent committee.

"A large percentage of parents did not know the board members," Burns said. "There was no profile, no web info readily available on who they are."

Families received no additional correspondence of any kind until June 2, the day before school ended. In an email, the president of the board of directors said the school was "blindsided by the unexpected and rapid decline of the economy." Scott Parrish went on to outline the school's future plans and some important announcements:

  • AHA will return the week of June 19.
  • Teachers and staff will be paid through the summer.
  • The board of directors will be expanded to include five, then seven members. Currently, Parrish and one other sit on the board.

Burns said the business side of the school turned families away, hers included. She has looked at two private schools for her daughter, and . Other families – at least 50, according to Burns' count – applied to Cherokee Charter Academy, .

"I blame the supposed board for getting us in this mess," she said. "I do point to them."

The new American Heritage Academy will possibly mix age groups based on ability in some classes, according to an email to families. While Burns speaks highly of administrators and teachers, she said she was not willing to experiment with her daughter’s education. Academics, she said, become more demanding in fifth grade in preparation for middle school.

"I’m not negative about their next chapter," Burns said, "but it doesn’t fit our plans any longer."

She hopes that perhaps in a few years, the school will be an option for her family once again.

"My wish is for Scott Parrish and Jay Crook to make this the best opportunity for school choice in Cherokee County," she said. "To lose that is a shame – especially, if their lack of leadership has caused it."

Johnson, who taught art at American Heritage Academy, holds positive thoughts for the future of the school, even though she won't continue with it.

"As long as people want an AHA," she said, "I’m hoping there will be an AHA. I wish them all the best."

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

June 2, 2011

Dear AHA Parents,

As parents, we all mark the passage of time differently.  For some, it’s the tick marks on the wall that measure not the age of our children but their growth.  For others, it’s the scrapbook memories of birthdays that start with a child’s first and seem to never end.

And yet, others mark the passage of time through the steps of achievement as a child moves from one grade to the next, from learning their ABCs, reading, writing and arithmetic to physics, history, language arts, chemistry and biology.  For part or all of the past 12 years, you have shared that passage of time with American Heritage Academy.  It has been an honor and a privilege to educate your children.  You have entrusted us with your most precious possessions and it has been our distinct pleasure to have provided a solid, advanced instructional program for your students.  We hope that we have met your educational expectations and proven to be up to the task.

And, we hope further that you will continue to allow us the honor and privilege of educating your children. As noted earlier, we have officially moved from the exploratory stage of whether we will reopen in August 2011 into a new phase we call “Open Enrollment.” The American Heritage Academy will reopen for the 2011-2012 school year with the following caveats:

1. The educational curriculum and program you know and trust will remain intact;
2. Financing has been secured and zoning approved for American Heritage Academy to proceed forward as American Heritage Academy at New Life;
3. Class sizes will remain small and will focus on advancing each student to the best of their ability; educational groupings will be accommodated to afford educational advancement based on student ability thus there will likely be age mixed groups within appropriate age spans;
4. Enrollment will be limited as to afford educational services to all our elite AHA scholars;
5. Services are being offered for students in grades PreK-3 to 9th Grade; additional individualized high school services may be made available based on parental need/request and the ability of the organization to sustain quality program services while serving students and meeting budget guidelines – please call Ms. Day or Mrs. Radnovich to let us know of your interest in grades 10-12;
6. Construction at the New Life site will be limited to necessary modifications made to accommodate student class size; light construction modifications (moving walls, adding or deleting a wall, etc.) and facility updates (paint, carpet, tile, etc.) will be ongoing throughout June and July;
7. Emphasis will be placed on including current, educationally effective, “cool” technology to drive, where appropriate, support and enhance the established instructional program;
8. Parents will provide lunches for their children thus eliminating the cost of a required school lunch program and affording parents the opportunity for choice in their children’s food selections; as the school grows, options will be explored with parents as to their support for onsite lunch services;
9. Uniforms will be worn in grades PK-5 and made available, but not required, for students in grade 6 and above;
10. The school year will begin either August 15 or 22 with a school calendar to be released via e-mail in the coming week;
11. Both a Parents Advisory Committee and a Staff Advisory Committee will be formed with the purpose of providing feedback and working support to the school and its programs;
12. During the week following June 19th, AHA will return prepaid tuitions to the appropriate people;
13. The remaining Teacher/Staff payroll for the 2010-2011 school year will be met;
14. The Board will be expanded to include first five, then seven members.

Though New Life Church and American Heritage Academy will remain separate entities, it should be noted that the church and its congregation have been extremely supportive in our efforts to move forward. To that end, we will have a fully executed lease agreement with the church within the week. In addition, the new location offers tremendous opportunities for growth. Its proximity to Exit 14 on I-575 is extremely convenient for parents. When we need to expand there are 20 additional acres upon which we can build (compared to 13 acres at the Sixes Road location) and there may be some opportunity to increase enrollment as there are several hundred students in the New Life Church.

Parents choose to send their children to private school for different reasons: educational opportunities, smaller class sizes, possibly the proximity to home or a myriad of other reasons.  The deciding factor is different for all, though a constant remains: When we send our children off to school we hope that school is an extension of our home and that the values, standards and morals that we instill at home will not only be taught in school, but will also be exemplified by the school.

With that being said, we would like to apologize to the parents, students and teachers of American Heritage Academy for any doubt or confusion we may have inadvertently created in our genuine efforts to save our students and school.

Like most people, we were blindsided by the unexpected and rapid decline of the economy -- local, state and national.  The speed and depth of the economic downfall caught us and many other public and private organizations by surprise.  You can argue that we should have seen the recession coming, but we believe that's 20-20 hindsight.

Once we were in the throes of the downturn, however, we have diligently tried to deal with its impact on our school.  Every action we have taken has been motivated by a single purpose: to keep the doors open in a school whose history records the values of academic achievement (being the best you can be) and the values of integrity and good character.

Have we made mistakes in our mission?  Of course we have.  But they have been, without exception, mistakes of miscalculation, not of intent.  When I myself warned some parents that using lawsuits to try to recover their money would be detrimental to our school's future, it was meant to be taken solely at face value -- that indeed such legal action could hinder our ability to work through our financial problems.  As a former Army journalist, I know our rights under the First Amendment, and filing a lawsuit is simply another form of freedom of expression -- which I uphold with all my heart. If my intentions were misinterpreted, for that I apologize.

Hope is not a plan.  But unless we as a community of parents, teachers and, most important of all, students, harbor hope, it becomes more difficult to take the concrete steps we need to take to preserve and grow our school.  We on the Board have not given up.  We are deeply committed to doing what it takes -- legally, financially and academically -- to justify the trust you have placed in American Heritage Academy to educate children in the best possible ways.

We need your help, and your patience.  We're not asking you for a blank check or an open-ended commitment. But amid the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we need your help and support. We love our students and families and are committed to serving them to the best of our ability, as we always have done. Please let us know of your decision by June 8, 2011 as to enrollment for the coming year and please act quickly as enrollment will be limited with preference given to established AHA families. Enrollment contracts may be completed immediately by setting an appointment with Mr. Sims. Enrollment agreements completed prior to May can be verified with Mr. Sims via e-mail.

We have all learned from the past, and while there may be other mistakes (hopefully small and insignificant) along the road, there will never be another time in the history of the Academy where parents are not fully informed of the needs of the school and asked to assist in the providing the solution.  You have spoken and we have listened.  We thank you for your support of AHA, will keep you informed as to our ongoing progress and sincerely hope that you will afford us the opportunity to continue serving your children.

Sincerely,


Scott Parrish
President,
American Heritage Academy Board of Directors

MESSAGE FROM THE BUSINESS OFFICE

June 2, 2011

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow is our last day of school for this academic year and we know you are looking forward to a fabulous summer with your children.  We too are looking forward to a great summer and a super opening in our new location!

The purpose of this communication is to provide information regarding the acquisition of report cards, testing scores, school ribbons, etc.  We want to support each and every family in their decisions and as such have ensured that all requests have been met within timelines and deadlines.  That said, it is absolutely essential and financially responsible to ensure that all accounts are closed out for the summer with zero balances. With this in mind, we must ensure that final records, scores, and ribbons are not released tomorrow and only after a final accounting has occurred.  We do not in any way wish to cause concern or delay for anyone, but we must ensure that each family account is brought up-to-date.

We know that you may require final records for other schools, and as such will process those requests expeditiously upon notification from the business office that records may be sent.  In preparation for smooth records access for all families, we have prepared packets of student information that will be able to be picked up from the front desk on Friday, June 10, 2011 at any time between 8AM and 5PM.   This packet will include a copy of pertinent student information held on file as submitted by the parent (such as a birth certificate), final report card, test scores and student ribbon (as appropriate).  Mr. Sims will notify the front desk of those families who have completely cleared their account by the Friday morning pick-up time.  Please e-mail the business office beginning Wednesday, June 8 to find out if an outstanding final balance is posted to your account and make arrangements to clear the balance.  Of course, you are free to wait for your final bill to arrive in the mail if you do not wish to clear your account prior to June 10, 2011 and pick up your records packet on June 10.   We also understand that it may not be convenient for you to drop by the school to pick up your packet; you are welcome to submit $10.00 per student and we will post your child’s packet via certified mail upon receiving clearance to do so.  Please submit the $10 per student mailing fee payment to the front desk in an envelope marked with your name and the child(ren)’s names for whom you are requesting mailing service.

You may be wondering why it takes a little time to prepare final bills.  It is necessary for the business office to ensure that all fees for services such as child care, ASC programs/workshops, piano lessons, tutoring, bus transportation, lunch accounts for students in 6th-12th grades, etc. are reconciled.   Of course, many of these fees accrue through the last day of school so time is required to assess each account accordingly. 

Items to remember with regard to closing out accounts and acquiring records packets:

  1. In order to ensure timely receipt of your records packet, AHA will accept cash, certified check, money order or credit card payments when paying off balances.  ALL balances must be zeroed out to receive any school records packets.  You maye-mail the Business Office on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 to determine if a balance is due.  You may then choose to pay your balance in full on or before June 10, 2011 to come and retrieve your student packets. Or you may choose to wait until you receive your monthly statement and pay your balance at that time. Then your packet will be available for pick-up at a later date at our new location or you can chose the certified mailing procedure detailed above.
  2. As long as the Business Office has cleared your account with a zero balance, on June 10, you will come in, sign for each student’s packet and receive those packets.  In the packet you will find everything we are able to release. Per State Law we are required to maintain complete student files and will continue to maintain everything we are legally required to keep within state guidelines.
  3. If you have questions regarding the status of your account please e-mail Mr. Sims on or after Wednesday, June 8, 2011. Balances will not be ready prior to that date. The front office staff will have no control over balances, release of school information or the ability to take payment on accounts at any time or on June 10 during pick-up. Please make all arrangements directly with the Business Office.

Thank you for your support and best wishes for a wonderful summer!

Sincerely,

AHA Business Office

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