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Lead-Deadwood board hears detailed plan for ‘Gold Prospect Academy’ alternative high school
Summary
District staff outlined a proposal for a small alternative high school, called Gold Prospect Academy, aimed at students not thriving in traditional settings. The board discussed admissions, hybrid curriculum, staffing needs and a tentative 6–10 student startup plan; next steps include a May first reading of a handbook.
District administrators presented a detailed proposal for an alternative high school program they are calling the Gold Prospect Academy, a small, hybrid program intended for students who have not succeeded in a traditional high school setting but show motivation to improve. The board spent more than an hour on the proposal, asking questions about admissions, curriculum, staffing and cost.
The presenter summarized the admissions criteria: applicants must show they are not succeeding in the traditional setting, could succeed with supports, and must commit to a personal learning contract signed at admission. "Students applying for admission must demonstrate that one, they are not experiencing success in a traditional high school setting; two, with the right supports, they could be successful within the Gold Prospect model; and three, they are motivated to abide by the personal learning contract they sign upon admission," the presenter said.
Why it matters: district leaders said the program is intended to provide a second-chance pathway to graduation for students at risk of dropping out, to recapture students who have left the district and to offer more flexible scheduling and supports than the traditional model. The board heard staff describe a hybrid instructional model using an online curriculum platform supported by a paraprofessional and certified teachers serving as instructors of record.
Board members and staff focused on several operational questions. Admission procedures would include two references (from staff, community members or employers), an initial screening committee and an interview. The district expects to start small — "between six and 10 slots that initial year" — with most students coming from the district's own high school and some potential returning homeschoolers or students who recently left the district.
On staffing, presenters estimated the major recurring cost would be one full-time classified position to supervise the site, plus roughly 0.5 FTE distributed among certified teachers and an administrative academy director to oversee admissions, attendance and behavior. Special-education support will be handled case by case: "If we have a student on an IEP and we can meet their accommodations without adding additional resources, we will," the presenter said; otherwise the district would retain the student in the traditional high school where the full complement of services exists.
The curriculum would use a hybrid model: an online content-delivery platform for many courses, with scheduled supervised time and opportunities to attend in-person electives (shop, band, art) at the main high school. The online licenses and instructor-of-record requirements were discussed; staff said the e-learning subscriptions are typically far less costly than fully contracted online courses and that the district will return with projected licensing costs before the next board meeting.
Board members asked whether students in the alternative program would remain eligible for extracurricular activities. Staff confirmed students would be able to participate in sports and other activities so long as they met the same eligibility and progress requirements as traditional students. Derek, who has worked with similar students, described lower-than-expected behavioral issues in comparable programs: "Personal investment is a key to success for the students that want to be in a program like that," he said.
Next steps: staff will survey high-school students and reach out to recent leavers to determine demand, prepare a light handbook to be presented as a first reading at the May meeting, and return with a budgetary breakdown and staffing cost estimates. The board did not take a formal vote on the program; staff recommended bringing a first-reading of a handbook in May followed by a second reading in June if the board wishes to proceed.
The discussion closed with broad support for pursuing the concept while requesting clearer projected costs and a finalized handbook for the next meeting.
