School overcomes Lake County residents’ worries
Academy is for suspended and expelled students
HOWEY-IN-THEHILLS — Some residents grimaced last summer after learning the Lake County school district planned to open an alternative school for suspended and expelled students in their quiet town.
In a sentiment typical of others expressed on social media, one person warned the facility would be a “reform school without prison uniforms.” School district officials scurried to tamp down fears of unruly teenage students wandering the streets and causing havoc, promising that safety would be a priority.
Despite such worries, district officials stuck to the plan and opened the Lake Success Academy in the fall. On Tuesday, district officials held an open house and declared it a success that has won over skeptical residents.
“It’s been a fantastic transition,” said resident Fran O’Keefe Wagler, who was among those who was skeptical a school for troubled kids could mesh with the idyllic town of 1,600 about 40 miles northwest of downtown Orlando.
School Board member Sandy Gamble said he was pleased town residents have embraced the school for sixth to 12th graders.
“I’m glad to see that the opposition has changed and that they have bought into it,” Gamble said.
School district officials touted the school as a way to provide a second chance to kids kicked out of school for multiple minor infractions or violating the district’s “zero tolerance” policy, which covers infractions such as fighting, bringing a weapon to school or getting caught with drugs.
The idea was that it’s better to keep teenagers occupied in a classroom setting rather than staying home with nothing to do.
In those situations, “you’re gonna get in trouble and fall behind,” said Porshialee Byfield, principal of the academy, which is housed in a former district facility called the Howey Center.
Steve Tibbits, 77, who traveled from his home in Altoona with his wife, Christine, 80, to check out the school agreed with Byfield’s assessment.
“Better than throwing them out on the streets, which we’ve done in the past,” Tibbits said.
Officials decided to open the alternative school after years of contracting the service through LifeStream Behavioral Center, a mental-health provider in Leesburg, and Alee Academy, a Eustis charter school. To ensure safety, the school has a full-time school resource officer.
Byfield told about 30 people on hand, including several district officials and School Board members, that the school is designed to help students “become responsible, committed citizens.”
“We love our students here unconditionally,” she said.
The positive vibe is carried throughout the campus, where walkways are interspersed with messages including “Tolerance,” “Kindness” and “Be responsible.”
The school currently has 28 students — 55 have passed through it since it opened in August, Byfield said. Students remain at
Lake Success Academy for 45 days to a year before returning to their home school. Support services are provided to help students to transition back to their regular classroom setting.
None were on hand for the tour because of privacy issues, Byfield said. The tour, which was held before the school day began, included visits to classrooms.
Peter Yelverton, 53, teaches civics and U.S. history. For example, Monday’s lesson was on the Great Depression.
“A lot of them are really smart and have a lot of common sense when it comes to academic material,” Yelverton said.
The next stop was math teacher Gary Harris’ math class.
“Welcome to the torture room … the thing that most of our students don’t like,” he said.
Harris, 77, a teacher for six years known as “Mr. G,” said of his charges: “They keep you on your toes.”
While plans for the school initially caught some residents flat-footed, the Lake Success Academy has become part of the town’s fabric, officials said.
Mayor Martha MacFarlane credited Byfield with keeping lines of communication open by holding monthly coffee meetings with small groups of residents to help them get to know the school.
Byfield said residents are invited to visit.
“We have a great relationship with the community right now,” she said. jfallstrom@ orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5444