Alternative high school to open a 2nd campus

Beacon Academy of Nevada will open a second Las Vegas campus this fall in an effort to reach more at-risk high school students.

The tuition-free public charter school is currently on West Flamingo Road. School leaders say the second campus — on East Sahara Avenue — will help better serve students who live in east-central Las Vegas by providing a shorter commute since many use public transportation to get to school.

Beacon Academy opened in 2008 as an online school. It faced possible closure in 2014 due to academic performance issues — including low student graduation rates — but the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority’s board allowed it to stay open and it transformed to become an alternative school.

Now, the school offers a blended model where students take classes online, but come to campus at least two days a week to get in-person help from teachers.

“It’s really about providing that support,” said Andrea Damore, executive director of academics.

To enroll, students must be 16 or older and meet one of the eligibility requirements, such as a class credit deficiency, having been suspended or expelled, having a habitual discipline problem, being under court jurisdiction or having an individualized education program (IEP).

In order to prepare for opening the East Sahara Avenue campus, an existing building is being remodeled. That process has been a bit delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Tambre Tondryk, executive director of operations.

When a new school year begins in August, all students will be at the existing campus on West Flamingo Road and students who live too far away to come in person will get support remotely. The East Sahara Avenue campus is expected to open in September or October.

The school plans to enroll a total of 585 students between its two campuses.

“It’s a very at-risk population, so we like to keep our numbers low,” Tondryk said.

Plans for opening a second campus were in the works prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, but another location will help students who may have dropped out of school or didn’t pass classes during the pandemic.

Students can enroll throughout the school year, Tondryk said. “Basically, our program is set up so that students earn credit every nine weeks.”

More than 65 percent of students are in their fifth or sixth year of high school.

“Generally, we need two years to get them caught up and graduated,” Damore said.

Students often need “a great deal of support,” both academic and social-emotional, Tondryk said. The school’s staff includes social workers and a clinical psychologist.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.