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Board hears plan to replace Pickerington Academy with in‑school "student success centers" at North and Central
Summary
District leaders described a two‑phase plan to move Pickerington Academy services into student success centers at Pickerington North and Central high schools, highlighting flexible scheduling, continued access to traditional classes, Apex digital curriculum, progress monitoring, enrollment/referral procedures and supports; the transition prompted a resolution enacting some administrative staff reductions.
District staff presented a multi‑step transition plan to move services formerly delivered at Pickerington Academy into student success centers embedded at Pickerington North and Pickerington Central high schools.
Leslie (presenting on behalf of the working group) said the plan began with student and parent surveys to identify what worked at Pickerington Academy and what students wanted to retain. The group then designed instructional programming first and logistics second: standardized processes, defined roles (lead teacher, administrator and counselor liaisons), progress‑monitoring, and quarterly review structures to evaluate student placement and outcomes.
Key program elements include: flexible scheduling (half‑day morning, half‑day afternoon or full‑day options), continued access to Apex digital curriculum, options to take traditional high‑school courses (for example an art or math class) while enrolled in the success center, credit recovery and new credit opportunities, career‑based interventions and internships connected to the district workforce development center, and suite‑style rooms at each high school to preserve a small community feel.
Mr. Frost described operational details: a lead teacher (the district expects the lead to be a math teacher) will support programming and data coordination, counselors will use a decision‑tree model for referrals, and enrollment will require an application and onboarding process beginning for the 2026–27 school year. Staff training (Apex training scheduled for Aug. 13) and building committees (BLTs/TBTs) are intended to create consistent practices across North and Central.
Board members pressed on consistency for students with intensive needs and transportation costs for half‑day schedules; presenters said the district will provide transportation for half‑day students similar to current service, but midday transportation will require coordination with transportation staff and budget constraints.
The transition also prompted a separate board action: the district presented and the board approved a resolution enacting reductions in administrative staff tied to restructuring Pickerington Academy functions into building‑level teams. Board members acknowledged the educational tradeoffs and thanked staff for work on the steering committee.
Next steps: counselors will begin identifying students who may benefit from the success centers, enrollment/referral processes will be implemented for 2026–27, and staff will monitor student success to adjust placements.
Quote: “We wanted to make sure that the programming goals were the driver and then the logistics got fed into that,” Leslie said. “We analyzed different structures and designed one that we believe fits our students.”
