Proposed charter school opening in Sussex Co. as soon as 2021
MILTON, Del. – A group of residents in Delaware are making it their mission to give students in Sussex County better access to quality education, by creating The Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence (B.A.S.S.E.) , a new charter school.
Alonna Berry says that she and her fellow board members are working around the clock to plant the seed and watch B.A.S.S.E. grow from just an idea, into a successful public charter school for high school students in Sussex County.
“We see the school as being a part of widening our ecosystem here for learning,” says Berry.
Berry says the school is named in honor of Bryan Stevenson, a profound social justice activist and lawyer who was born and raised right in Milton, Delaware. Stevenson, along with his family, wanted to make sure there was a school put in place that would provide countless opportunities for students.
“It’s going to partner with nonprofit organizations, hospitals, doctors offices, and other entities that’s going to allow them to have real hands-on work experience and that is so crucial in today’s society,” says advisory board member Stacie Burton.
Board members say it would be a charter school, and would be free for students to attend. The free cost is an element that she says is crucial to make sure students are given every opportunity imaginable, despite their circumstances.
“There aren’t a ton of schools in Delaware or in the area doing service learning right now and so we seek to kind of fill that void in our community,” Berry.
But not everyone is on board with the plan according to social media. With those saying the County doesn’t need more schools, and that they need to make the ones they have better and more effective. Despite that though, those in favor say by getting these students involved in their communities and learning alongside professionals, it’ll encourage them to return back to the county and help the area thrive.
“They’re in their community learning about the challenges that ultimately will bring them back to their community to innovate in those spaces,” says Berry.
47 ABC reached out to the Indian River School District for a comment on the proposed school, but they were not available for a comment. The school has also grabbed the attention of Delaware Senator Chris Coons who took to Facebook to say that it’s exciting news and that he can’t wait to guest lecture at one of the classes.
In the meantime school officials say they’ll be submitting their official application for The Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence to the Delaware Department of Education by December. They add that if all goes well, they hope to have the school ready to open the by Fall of 2021.
