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Tiger Academy reports student gains but warns grants that fund programming largely end after this year
Summary
Tiger Academy staff reported academic and social‑emotional gains for many alternative‑education students, highlighted credit recovery and individualized supports, and said most grant funding that sustains the program expires after the coming year, leaving future staffing and services uncertain.
Dr. Joe Wielt, who oversees secondary multilingual and alternative education, and Tiger Academy staff reviewed the program’s second‑year outcomes and funding status. Wielt said the program expanded from an initial 18 students to about 34 daytime participants last year and that the Freedom School after‑school component served about 56 high‑school students.
"We were very pleased with the year one evaluation," Wielt said, summarizing external evaluation work by Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Staff reported concrete short‑term outcomes cited in the evaluation: 72% of daytime Tiger Academy students improved self‑management and social‑awareness skills and 64% improved GPA across the year. Presenters also described individual success stories, including two students who graduated after catching up on credits through Tiger Academy offerings.
Staff described program design features that support students: a low student‑to‑staff ratio, individualized plans tracked monthly in Panorama, co‑teaching in core classes, blended credit recovery (Apex Learning), and social‑emotional learning strategies. Natalie Bretz, the program’s curriculum and grant coordinator, described community partnerships that supply mentors and tutors and noted that student service‑learning and college visits were part of the summer schedule.
Financial outlook and risk: presenters warned the board that most grant funding supporting the daytime and after‑school programs will end after this fiscal year. "We are fortunate to still have year three of some of our grants ... unfortunately this is the last year for most of the grant," Wielt said. Staff said they are actively seeking additional grants and invited board discussion about alternative district support to sustain or expand the program.
Why it matters: Tiger Academy functions as a district alternative‑education and credit‑recovery pathway for students at risk of expulsion or behind on credits; its continuity affects a small but vulnerable student population and graduation outcomes.
Next steps: staff will continue grant‑writing efforts, track start‑of‑year enrollment (anticipated ~26 students at the outset), and return to the board with updates on funding and program capacity.
