Delisle Center to Offer Alternative Education Opportunities to CHUH Students

Staying one step ahead and offering students alternative learning methods is what the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District aims to accomplish. With the opening of the Deborah S. Delisle Educational Options Center this fall, it will do just that. The Delisle Center is formerly known as Taylor Academy, 14780 Superior Road.

"The building is very multipurpose," said Jeff Johnston, director of student services. "It houses career prep classes, family connections (), adult programs and spaces used by our IT staff. We want to keep it multipurpose."

In the past, the district has paid for and sent students who need alternative learning programs to the North Coast Academy and Success Connections, which offer blended learning classes. Blended learning incorporates online learning with the traditional classroom atmosphere.

Keeping those students in the district will save $300,000 per year.

"We don't feel the need to tuition out folks anymore with the opening of the Delisle Center," Johnston said. "It will provide that programming. North Coast and Success Connections have been a great partner and we wouldn't move forward with this if we didn't think we could do it as well."

District registration offices will also move from the to the Delisle Center. The district will also establish an assessment center for new students as they come in to help survey the needs of those new students.

As a result, three new teachers were hired using money that had accrued through a district buyout program, Johnston said, but most of the staff will come from within the district.

Students occupying the building will be high school students who have not had success in a traditional classroom setting. Johnston wanted to make it clear that this is not a discipline school, but some students will be sent here to make up suspensions.

But, Johnston said, they district is still giving students a choice. If it's their senior year at North Coast or Success, they have the option of finishing there or coming back, but all will graduate as a Heights High student.

"As the world is becoming more technologically advanced, we want to adapt and we have to be as diverse to be a part of the 21st century," Johnston said. "Some of these students may be behind in credits, some may be discipline and some are career prep. But for some of these student, blended learning just works better."

The cost of maintaining the facility will be paid using the money saved from tuitioning students to North Coast or Success Connections.

Read more about the facility on the CHUH district website.