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Ben Hill County board votes to close Hurricane Transition Academy, pursue state-backed Discovery program
Summary
The Ben Hill County Board of Education voted to close the district's Hurricane Transition Academy (HTA), citing low enrollment and unsustainable local costs, and approved pursuing an agreement with a state-funded Discovery Comprehensive High School to serve at-risk students.
The Ben Hill County Board of Education voted to close the Hurricane Transition Academy and pursue a collaborative agreement with the state-supported Discovery Comprehensive High School to serve at-risk and dropout-recovery students.
Superintendent Dawn recommended the closure, saying HTA had been placed on a failing list, drew about 70 students and required local funds the district can no longer sustain. "We made a decision as a team to close the HTA," Dawn said during the meeting, adding that many HTA students had special needs and required wraparound supports the district could not maintain locally.
Committee member (S4) moved to accept the superintendent's recommendation and Committee member (S2) seconded the motion. After discussion about where displaced students would receive services, whether the district could staff alternative options, and how FTE funding would be handled, the board voted in favor.
Board members and staff discussed details of the Discovery program and how it would operate in the district. Staff said the state had allocated $5,000,000 to the Discovery model statewide and that the local site could be set up as a satellite or hosted program. "They can come to this school ... they can go to school for free," district staff said, describing options for 18-year-olds and other at-risk students. The superintendent said most students would still graduate with the district's high school while older students would graduate from Discovery.
Board members asked how FTE and billing would work; staff said Discovery would bill for students and might lease district facilities (the science wing was mentioned as a possible space). The board acknowledged the change would require transitions for staff and students and stressed the district's intention not to "leave any children behind."
The motion to close the HTA and to pursue the Discovery agreement carried by voice vote; the transcript records board assent with "Aye" but does not list individual vote tallies by name.
The board did not specify a closure implementation timeline in the discussion recorded; staff said they would seek approval of an operating agreement with Discovery and work through transition details with families and staff. The board also discussed routing some students to the district's "Options" alternative program and online options where appropriate.
Next steps: staff will finalize the collaborative agreement and report on logistics, enrollment projections and any staffing implications at a future meeting.
