Chance Light principal tells Euclid City board program serves 43 students and reports 100% graduation rate

Gina Rashad, principal of Chance Light, told the Euclid City Board that the district’s therapeutic, data‑driven program has grown to 43 enrolled students for 2025–26 and continues to prioritize reintegration and individualized supports.

"Our mission is to provide that structured, supportive and therapeutic environment where our students develop not only academic skills but have emotional regulation, social confidence and successfully…realize their full potential," Rashad said in her presentation to the board.

Rashad said the program, which serves students with emotional disabilities and other health impairments as well as K–4 students with autism, began with 11 students in 2022–23 and now includes 43 students, with two pending placements from Euclid City Schools and two pending out‑of‑district kindergarten placements. She described Chance Light as a separate facility on the special education continuum with priority enrollment for Euclid City students and contractual placements from neighboring districts.

The principal outlined staffing and supports at Chance Light, noting the program includes an assistant director who is a board‑certified behavior analyst, nine intervention specialists, instructional aides, registered behavior technicians, a behavior coordinator, a licensed school social worker and a mental health therapist. Rashad said related services are provided by district employees and emphasized small student‑to‑staff ratios.

On instruction, Rashad listed aligned platforms and curricular resources used at Chance Light: elementary students use Into Reading and Go Math; science instruction uses TCI/Science Fusion; social studies uses Social Studies Alive; secondary classes use Ingenuity and eDynamic; intervention and autism‑specific platforms include Teachtown, Lexia, Reading Plus and Freckle.

Rashad referred to STAR Renaissance benchmark data comparing fall and winter results and said students showed growth across grades 2–11, noting a modest winter dip for 10th grade that staff are addressing with targeted intervention. She reported an average attendance rate of about 89% for the academic year and said Chance Light has maintained a 100% graduation rate, adding the cohort of 2027 will be the largest to date and that students are not credit‑deficient after credit‑recovery work.

To illustrate outcomes and reintegration, Rashad highlighted an alumni example: "One of our students, Trinity, was part of our first graduating class in 2024. Trinity is currently an employee at Chance Light," she said, noting alumni can become part of career pipelines within the program.

Rashad described project‑based learning and community engagement activities, including a simulation of campaign processes for students and an annual Thanksgiving event called Chancegiving supported by a local caterer. She also described a holiday outreach in which staff and families delivered gifts to every enrolled student and said students complete more than 50 hours of community service annually, including participation in a city clean‑up event.

During board feedback, members praised the program’s outcomes and community ties. One board member singled out Rashad’s line that "behavior is communication," saying it underscored the program’s therapeutic approach. Another board member suggested Chance Light could inform the district’s strategic plan as a model for career pipelines and staff development. There were no motions or votes recorded during the exchange.

Rashad closed by thanking the board and restating the program’s emphasis on consistency, partnerships and family supports. The chair then called a five‑minute recess.