Chicago considering boarding school for homeless

Many public school students with similarly chaotic personal lives could soon see an approach that's more often reserved for the well-to-do: boarding school. Chicago school officials are asking for proposals to run such schools. The idea poses big challenges, not the least of which is the high cost and opposition from some homeless advocates.

"The idea of having a stable home situation is ideal. If that's not the case, that shouldn't preclude you from being able to focus in school," said Josh Edelman, head of the office of new schools in the nation's third-largest school system.

Residential public schools are usually academies that specialize in math and science, although there are several that aim to help children from low-income neighborhoods succeed.
'Potential to drive a wedge'Chicago serves about 10,000 homeless students a year. Nationwide, more than 907,000 students were homeless in 2005-06, according to government statistics believed elevated during that period by young victims of hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

The cost of housing students deterred a similar effort in Chicago in the 1990s and remains a problem this time around as well. The school system spends about $7,350 per student each year on pupils in grades 6 through 12; residential schools can cost between $30,000 and $50,000 per pupil, according to school officials.

What's more, homeless advocates say they fear students would be stigmatized or isolated, and worry about separating children from their families. "Kids are deeply connected to their families, and while there is bad in some situations, there's also a lot of connectedness and good," said Rene Heybach, director of the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. "You have to be really cautious when you begin these public enterprises that have the potential to drive a wedge."

Heybach also questioned spending upward of $30,000 per pupil to house a small number of students instead of, for example, using the money for transportation that could help many more homeless children.

Part of a bigger plan, she echoed a concern she said she's heard from others: "The Chicago Public Schools has a lot of trouble just operating quality schools. Now they're launching into housing?"
Edelman said participation would be voluntary. The idea, he said, is part of a broader plan to improve schools and offer options in neighborhoods across the city through charter, contract and performance schools that are free from many district controls.
Officials said the soonest a boarding school could open would be 2010, but a residential program tied to an existing school could be operating next year.

A charter school called North Lawndale College Prep is considering partnering with a nonprofit group called Teen Living, which has worked with homeless youth for about 25 years.
North Lawndale, in a neighborhood where the unemployment rate is almost triple the city average, would focus on academics and Teen Living would provide shelter and support services.
While the shelter would likely only have about 20 beds, some students might only stay a few days or weeks, so many students could benefit in a school year, said John Horan, the school's director of expansion. The school estimates 5 percent to 8 percent of its 525 students are homeless at any one time during the school year.

Former student supports this idea. One former North Lawndale student who would have taken advantage of a boarding option is Tinesheia Howard. Now a 19-year-old college student, she spent 18 months in a homeless shelter during high school, and Horan often gave her rides to school.

Howard remembers how she couldn't start her homework until the clamor of the shelter died down with the "lights out" call at 9 p.m. She washed her clothes in a sink and failed an algebra class because she was so tired she would fall asleep at her desk.
"I think it's a great idea," Howard said of the boarding school idea. "You could be in a positive atmosphere. I was in a negative atmosphere — there was so much arguing. I just couldn't deal with it."

Cottwoood De Tuscon

Cottowood is a intensive treatment program focusing on drug and substance abuse, while young adults and adolescents, are the primary clients, they offer wonderful services for both groups. The program is a comprehensive program designed to help with chemical or substance addiction along with other addictions. Located in Tuscon, Arizona, this program has a extremly well put together health care model. While it is widely recognized program throughout the country, it is also recognized in England. The expense for the program is $1000 per day for a 30 or longer boarding program it is well worth the expense to families.

The program alsop covers nutrition, fitness, to spiritual needs, medical and even has a well supervised detox program. Included in the program are Recreational Therapy, which is my background. focused on rock climbing, and helping clients understand, risk taking as it applies to a healthy life-style, as it applies to the recovery process. Using both a 12 step model toward recovery, it explores different types of support needed, including family therapy and intervention for pa rents.

The sucess rate of the program is much higher than most traditional programs, simply beccause it is longer, it has a well developed educational component, supervised by a clinically trained medical staff and physican, which consistently evaluatest the patient's progress. This includes: other therapy services: art therapy, equiine therapy, among many other services to help adolescents, and young adults prevent relapse.

Having had privellege of meeting two other conultants who were equally impressed by the program flying from Pennsylvania and Chicago to see the program was equally very helpful in speaking with them. Clearly it was worth the trip. The staff is extremely friendly offering help and advise for consultants. It is nestled in Tuscon and is a well kept secret. Many parents who have children with long term substance abuse could benefit from the program, certainly can benefit from this program. However, it is not cheap!

The cost is well worth the treatment and the services. There are a large number of girls on the campus, when I visited but the program is offered for boys, with restriction to interacting on campus. The program also has a hoticulture program which is very nuturing for the students in this Senora desert enviroments. Would you hire an educational consultant to work with your family, or adolescent, having a substance abuse problem? What things do you like about Cottwoood de Tuscon after reading our blog?

Boulder Creek Academy

Boulder Creek Academy is just one of the programs, which I have toured over the past few years. I recently spent a wonderful day with Shawnle Wilson marketing Director for Boulder Creek Academy to address placement options for families. My visit to the program, while a time, ago is very clear in my mind about the type of student best suited for the school.

A recent famly camp program has been added to the program and according to the Director of Admisssions, families now share a great experience in family camp. We believe, "if you really want to see the family dynamics" they are certainly clear at family camp.

This approach to working with famiilies makes Boulder Creek a very good choice. Mrs. Wilson who also screens admissions to Boulder Creek, is a person who can multi-task with the best, working on the marketing and admission
of the school, is a good resource for consultants, and while managing her own family, and the students at Boulder Creek, we also know Ms. Wilson has excellent help for our families.

When asked her to describe the experience at Boulder Creek, she says "We have kids who simply lack social skills", who are in the range of sepctrum of Autism Spectrum Disorder, to more higher level of autism like Aspergers. "Most of our students are referrals come from consultants, and 98% of our families are private pay". While we are stuggling to keep up with the economy we are doing quite well actually".

"We feel confident that your services to our families would be a valuable option". Boulder Creek in located in northern Idaho at the base of the mountains. The climate is very mild in summer and filled with snow in the winter. The school as several dorms and a large area for classes and a petting farm, maintained by the students. The clinical staff is strong and the screeing process is very detailed. Boulder Creek is now accepting international student and and was issued its SEVIS. which generates the I-20 application for a visa for international students. The school is located 8 miles from downtown Bonners Ferry.

I spent the night in Bonner Ferry at my tour, and had a wonderful time speaking to the staff. There has been some changes since my visit, with some of the staffing. The curriculum is college prepatory and it offers much direction for students in this area. Students most sucessful at Boulder Creek are those students who have high functioning autism. The schools does acccept those kids who might be boarderline in functioning, but they must be able to function independently.

Do you have a student with high functioning Autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Would you think about sending you child to a program at Boulder Creek?

Are Boarding Schools Outpricing Parents

Parents sending their children to boarding schools are now faced with annual increases in enrollement fees and tuition as the cost continues to go up. Despite these very challenging economic times, many boarding schools are either faced with parents who can pay or reporting challenges in finding affordable prices for families.

With the increase tuition growing each year, families having less income or year parents savings for private schools are simply getting lower. Many familes in traditional boarding schools are faced with the cost of schools, while schoool adminstrators and heads of schools, are trying to replace crumbling buildings, or paying faculty, to finding more competitive facilities, to compete itthis changing 21st Century.

A change in funding by public schools, with even less money for school improvement, and even lesser money to pay teachers are suffering tremdously from budget cuts. The funding availability is also decreasing in public schools but private schools seem to doing fine.

This has made parents look at private schools as being a more attractive option. Many parents are not sure if all their question can be asked by simply visiting a web site and making a decision. This allows parents to ask a a consultant needing more advise before making any key decisions. This includes advising them on the expenses and prices for sending their children to a private school additional fees and cost not mentioned on a web site.

While some parents are simply " left out of the loop" most will find schools are between $48,00 to $52,000.00 per year or more" in the case of therapeutic bording schools or wildereness programs that top out at $495,00 four hundred ninety five dollars per day. This cost might be afforable or too expensive for some parents. Some states offer tax incentives for private schools depending on the requirment of the state and the funding sources.

One parent lamintes that " we just cannot afford to send our son to a private school", How do these parent's do it?" -in this economy, its impossible" for the average family to afford this cost. While most consultants are now advising parents on the finacial piece, we believe dicussing with all parents, is essential before "quoting the price tag".

Most parents will find private schools, simply do not know what is out there" for families, and with funding decreasing hiring an educational consultant to do the homework may be more cost effective. Despite the price tag, at private schools, many parents are not going to consultants for information. This growing trend not only among affluent families is being recommended by middle and lower income families.

We know private schools are still outranking public school in overall college acceptance. Most parents unaware of this simply may decide they cannot afford a private school, which has a 95-100% acceptance rate at colleges and universities, compared to public schools which have about 52% percent acceptance rate in any college.

Schools like Harvard, Yale and Princeton, listed as the tops colleges and universities still have more endowment funds, and scholarship availablity for families. Most boarding schools or day schools similarly have higher acceptance with a large endowment funding available to families in traditional boarding schools. While these elite schools offer more acceptance in colleges, still find selectiveness in the admission process and funding through scholarships and other trust funds.

While the cost may seem high for parents, students who are accepted, at a prestigiious college or univeristy or boarding school will often find more financial aid available than attending a state or public school. The question many parents have is generally, the overall cost for atttending a private school and the cost after leaving a private school.

We have studied this for several years, and found many private schools are still facing the challenges of public schools, but they simply have more private donors. This is what make the big difference in a child attending a private school along with their selectiveness in a school. Many elite boarding schools for girls like Miss Porter, Miss Halls amongother smaller boarding schools have a strong alumni and their support is invaluable to the student's who graduate from these schools. Equally boys schools like Trinity Pawling have larger endowment for students.

It seems the larger the private schools the less their might be available depending on the endowment and trust fund. Most parents come to consultants looking for a school not the cost. We have found many parents already know the cost and are prepared to pay this cost. Middle income families wanting to attend a private day or boarding school might have to sacrifice more to get their child through a school. Some familes have asked us for admission in the 9th grade or even lower grades to reduce expenses.

Do you want a student to attend throughout graduation and not enter in the last two years. What do you think? Are private schools outrpricing parents? What role would an hiring an consultant contribute to searching independently? What information to parents look for? Do parents understand the cost for tuition versus other expenses. Is doing the homework yourself a good way to find out information?