The Delta Academy gives second chance to non-traditional students

Michelle Jones rides the bus to school every morning -- the city bus.

She goes to The Delta Academy, 4075 N. Rancho Drive, a public charter school with about 150 students in the northwest valley. It serves mostly students who, for various reasons, dropped out of traditional middle and high schools.

Jones' family kicked her out of the house more than a year ago after finding out she was pregnant. She dropped out of Legacy High School and moved to WestCare's women and children's shelter, 5659 Duncan Drive.

Jones, now 17, moved to another shelter, Southern Nevada Children First, 720 W. Cheyenne Ave., Suite 30, and lives in a nearby subsidized apartment with her 6-month-old, Mason, and a homeless mother of two.

She started attending Delta last year because it was close to the shelter.

She's making A's and B's and plans to graduate this school year and enroll at the College of Southern Nevada.

Life hasn't been easy as of late, but one thing she is happy about is her school.

"I like how it's small because you get a lot more teacher attention," Jones said. "The classes are quiet and there's not so many disruptive kids.

"I like how you can get closer with the staff here. You're not just like strangers."

Administrators, such as principal Bruce Congleton, feel the same way.

"She is a class act," said Congleton of Jones. "She's one of our best kids."

Jones also appreciates the school's new incentive program.

Students who maintain passing grades, attend class every day and have no discipline referrals will receive $10 per week, paid in gift cards. Students can choose from stores such as Walmart, Best Buy, McDonald's and more.

Students enrolled in the school's online program also are eligible to receive gift cards.

The potential to earn $360 means a lot to someone like Jones, who lives on welfare and food stamps.

"That's a couple of bus passes. That's diapers," she said.

Other students also liked the approach and said it would make a difference in how they and other students performed. Many thought it was a joke when they received the letter in the mail this summer explaining the program. Some said they know kids who came back to school this year for that reason alone.

Congleton expects to spark some controversy with the school's new pay program, but he stands behind it.

"Most extrinsic motivation is negative," Congleton said, "whether it's detention, suspension, expulsions, behavioral school or opportunity school. What we're trying is positive extrinsic motivation.

"A lot of people will say, 'How do you afford to give gift cards to students for doing what they should do anyway?' We don't have any extras; we just offer what they need to graduate. We don't have sports or extracurricular activities. We prioritize the students first.

"We budgeted that amount of money for the students as extrinsic motivation to improve their chances to graduate and their chances to be successful."

The school, entering its fifth year of operation, graduated 24 of 33 students with the potential to graduate last year.

It's yet to be seen if the new incentives will yield results. The cards will be distributed on a monthly basis beginning in October.

The school's executive director, Kyle Konold, said it's a good investment because it potentially can keep kids off the street and save society money in the long run.

"A lot of our students that haven't found success in traditional schools have issues that take priority over education," Konold said. "Whether it's family, personal, emotional or behavioral, education becomes lower on the priority list.

"Basically, the Delta Academy was created as a second chance for students."

The Delta Academy serves students in grades 7-12, including students with disabilities. Enrollment is open for the in-class and online programs.

For more information, call 396-2252 or visit deltaacademylv.com.

After school lets out at 3 p.m., Jones picks up her son from day care and makes the bus ride back "home."

She wants to get a job after college in the medical field, maybe as an anesthesiologist or a pharmacist, she said.

Her parents have since asked her to move back in, but she is determined not to.

"I'm fine with where I'm at," she said. "I think it's a good lesson for me. As hard as it is, you only get stronger by it."

Besides, she really enjoys her school.

"The stories from all the other students here are just so interesting," she said.

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.