21st Century Charter High School: Pioneering New School Year Initiatives

On Thursday morning, students dressed in black and red polo shirts entered 21st Century Charter High School, carrying clear backpacks while rap music played welcoming them back. As they approached side-by-side metal detectors, staff prepared plastic bags for collecting cell phones, headphones, and other electronic devices. Students wrote their names on sticky notes to place them into the bags.

Anton Williams, the Dean of Students, directed students as the first institution locally to start its school year. Indiana lawmakers enacted a “bell to bell” ban on wireless devices, yet students here already followed such policies by leaving or storing devices at school for two years.

Principal Othiniel Mahone explained last year teachers collected phones in the first hour, but now staff take them at the entrance to lighten teachers’ load. Many students, such as freshman Jamirah Johnson, simply left their phones at home. Parent Jasmine Ware supports the phone ban, noting phones distract students by encouraging boredom.

Ware chose the school, alongside her husband Demetri Ware, so their son Amir Robinson could attain post-high school credentials or a degree. The school’s reputation for students earning associate and bachelor degrees before graduation strengthened their choice.

Monae Velez, another parent, dropped her twins off for their first day. Though she disliked the late July start, she appreciated the varied educational opportunities, like trades classes.

The school’s late-July start aimed for a balanced academic year schedule. Students receive two weeks off in October for fall break, two weeks for Christmas, and two weeks during spring break. Mahone noted the benefits of this by citing reduced learning loss and improved student energy upon returning.

Enrollment figures have shown positive growth, with freshmen numbers reaching a four-year high of around 140, and K-12 enrollment projected to rise by 20%. Gary holds the highest number of charter schools per capita in Indiana.

Enrichment and remedial programs are available during the first week of breaks for students focusing on enhancing grades, allowing students to either catch up, get ahead, or enjoy a break.

The new school calendar aligns with the state’s updated point-based accountability system. Mahone and Executive Director Peter Morikis support this system for encouraging individual student tracking towards achieving career pathways or gaining credit courses, enhancing overall success metrics beyond test scores.