SPRINGDALE -- A change in management and philosophy at a downtown charter school has led to higher enrollment and better academic results, according to school officials.
LISA Academy, which has operated charter schools in the Little Rock area since 2004, opened a Springdale campus for grades kindergarten through eight last month. LISA stands for learn, innovate, support and achieve.
Northwest Arkansas’ Open-Enrollment Charter Schools
Arkansas Arts Academy
• K-6 building, 2005 S. 12th St., Rogers
• 7-12 building, 506 W. Poplar St., Rogers
Haas Hall Academy
• 2600 S.E. J St., Bentonville
• 3880 N. Front St., Fayetteville
• The Jones Center, 922 E. Emma Ave., Springdale
• 121 W. Poplar St., Rogers
LISA Academy
• 301 Holcomb St., Springdale
Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy
• 1302 Melissa Drive, Bentonville
Source: Staff report
LISA took over the Ozark Montessori Academy, a charter school at 301 Holcomb St., after leaders of both schools agreed to a deal last fall. Ozark Montessori struggled academically and financially during its four years of operation. Barb Padgett was Ozark Montessori's superintendent last year when she contacted Fatih Bogrek, superintendent of LISA Academy, about a partnership.
"It probably will go down in my life as one of the wisest decisions I've ever made," said Padgett, who is now LISA Springdale's dean of students.
The two schools signed a memorandum of understanding last fall, stipulating the LISA system would provide instructional and operational support to Ozark Montessori for the rest of the 2018-19 school year before taking complete control this summer.
The state Board of Education approved the agreement in March.
Making the transition
LISA is an open-enrollment charter school, as was Ozark Montessori. Open-enrollment charter schools are run by entities other than public school districts. They're open and free to students from any district, and they receive state money based on enrollment. They do not receive property tax revenue.
Bogrek said LISA officials worked to educate the community about their school, which emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math. They held open houses for the Hispanic and Marshallese communities and advertised through mailers and billboards, he said.
"I think one of the things we got right in this whole process was reaching out to all the stakeholders early on in the process," said Luanne Baroni, LISA's assistant superintendent and director of communications.
Ozark Montessori families were apprehensive about the change, but LISA officials listened to their concerns and tried to address them, Baroni said.
Montessori education is student-led and self-paced, but "guided, assessed and enriched by teachers, the leadership of their peers and a nurturing environment," according to the American Montessori Society's website.
The Montessori style doesn't align well with state standards -- one of the reasons Ozark Montessori struggled academically, Baroni and Bogrek said.
"In addition to that, one of the things we took away from this whole process is how challenging it is for a small charter to stand alone without a lot of the support," Baroni said. "Barb Padgett was trying to do the jobs of about 10 people."
Ozark Montessori had about 170 students last school year. LISA has nearly 3,000 students in grades kindergarten through 12 across its six schools, which besides Springdale are in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Sherwood.
Academic performance
The LISA campuses received three A's, two B's and one C grade from the state for the 2017-18 school year. Ozark Montessori got a D.
LISA officials said their guidance led to the significant improvement Ozark Montessori students showed in all areas of the state's standardized ACT Aspire tests last spring.
The percentage of students scoring "ready or exceeding" on the English assessment, for example, increased from 55.9% in 2018 to 71.7% in 2019; in science, the percentage jumped from 33.8% to 45.3%, according to figures provided by LISA. Sixty-eight students in grades three through eight took the tests.
"We provided consulting in the second semester," Bogrek said. "We changed the curriculum, and we were really surprised by the scores."
Kimberly Mundell, director of communications for the Arkansas Department of Education, said the department had no comment on LISA and the job it's done in Springdale.
LISA's goal is to open additional campuses in Northwest Arkansas. The school's expansion plans include opening a high school to provide students in the region a complete K-12 experience.
Martha Pilgrim, whose twin seventh-graders were enrolled at Ozark Montessori, was convinced early on the change to LISA would help her kids. She said she trusted Padgett and other staff members.
On Aug. 16, the fifth day of classes at LISA Springdale, Pilgrim said, "I love it, and my kids love it. And they are learning like crazy already in the short time they've been here this week. We're thrilled."
Stephanie Withrow of Rogers has a kindergartner at the school. She initially was interested in placing her child at Ozark Montessori. When it became clear LISA was taking over, she researched the school and said she fell in love with the program. Her daughter is enjoying it.
It's a 20-minute drive between the school and their home on the east side of Rogers, but it's worth it, she said.
Hasan Sazci, who had been principal of one of LISA's campuses in Little Rock, moved to take charge of the Springdale campus. The school opened last month with 233 students, about 40 more than officials had projected and about 60 more than Ozark Montessori had last year.
Eighty-three of LISA's students -- about 35% -- were with Ozark Montessori last year.
LISA officials said they're interested in maintaining a diverse school in Springdale. About 43% of its students are of a racial or ethnic minority, compared to about 66% for the Springdale School District. More than one-half of LISA's Springdale students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, Sazci said.
LISA hired a mix of its own staff members and former Ozark Montessori staff for Springdale. Paige Hendricks taught third grade at Ozark Montessori last year and accepted an invitation to remain with LISA. She teaches reading to third- and fourth-graders and writing to fifth- through eighth-graders.
The transition from one school to another was smooth, Hendricks said.
"We were supported really well," she said. "They helped us, we helped our kiddos, and then our kiddos did amazingly well at the end of the year on their assessments."
NW News on 09/03/2019