Lebanon High to host new 'Drake Passage' program as county alternative school closes

Superintendent Mister Sievers told the Lebanon City School Board that the district will open a new partial‑day program at Lebanon High School next year called the Drake Passage to provide services formerly delivered by the Warren County ESE alternative school.

Sievers said the county program is closing and “we have 14 students there currently,” adding the district will bring those services back to Lebanon High School in classroom space beyond the cafeteria. “We were paying over $400,000 to the ESC for services,” he said, and the district expects to provide similar or better services for less money by hiring staff directly.

The district described the Drake Passage as a tiered, partial‑day program intended to serve two groups: students who need short‑term, tier‑2 support with the goal of reintegration to general education at semester breaks, and students in tier‑3 whose behavior previously required outplacement. Services will use an existing classroom with a self‑contained restroom and an exterior entrance and will include academic support through the online provider Graduation Alliance, Sievers said.

Sievers described a staffing plan that would initially include two teachers, an aide and a dean of students who would be paid on a teacher salary scale but carry some administrative responsibilities. He said jobs are posted internally first and that the district will notify families of the students currently attending the alternative school this week and arrange meetings with Lebanon High School staff to review options.

Sievers gave cost figures the board can use for comparison: the district currently pays about $15,000 per student for the existing alternative placement, while the learning‑center option used by the ESE would run about $70,000 per student, he said. He framed the district plan as both a cost‑containment move and an opportunity to expand local services and reintegrate students when appropriate.

Board member Mister Lane asked about staff displacement at the ESE. Sievers said some staffing changes will result from attrition and one teacher’s retirement; the district will first offer internal candidates the posted positions and hire externally only if needed.

The superintendent said the Drake Passage will initially serve Lebanon High School students only but the program could grow if demand increases. He emphasized the district expects to operate the program for less than what the ESC was charging and to retain more control over students’ academic and behavioral supports.

The board did not take a formal vote on the program at the meeting; the presentation was given during the superintendent’s report and district leaders said they will follow up with family notifications and staffing actions in coming weeks.