Wheels are turning on the plan for a White County alternative school

WHITE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - In the 19 years Gib Crimmins has been the superintendent of the Tri-County School Corporation he's collaborated with other White County schools on several things.

"[We've shared] distance learning, transportation, classes and online classes," Crimmins said.

Crimmins said the schools' next venture only made sense. In August Tri-County, Twin Lakes, North White and Frontier schools will be able to send students to The Crossing Education Center. It's the county's new alternative high school.

"The schools recognize there is a certain group of students that for whatever reason the traditional school has not worked out," Crimmins said.

"Once those students are gone they are really hard to get back in to the school if they dropped out," North White School Corporation Superintendent Nick Eccles said. "I think [The Crossing] organization raves on being able to beat the bushes and get some of the kids back."

Crimmins and Eccles said The Crossing's top priority is getting dropouts back in school.

The alternative school is unlike traditional school. It's a small environment. Many classes are taught online. It's a faith based organization. Students go to school for three hours then attend an internship.

The corporations committed 35 students to the school. Each student will cost $5,500. Those funds will come from the state. Superintendents said they will work together to determine how many slots each corporation will get.

"If one school ends up needing a couple more than what they've committed, and someone else needs a couple less we're looking to trade them around," Crimmins said. "Our real goal is to help it be successful."

Superintendents expect more slots will go to larger districts like Twin Lakes. Eccles said right now North White will get six slots.

As superintendents of smaller corporations Eccles and Crimmins agree they would not be able to open the school on their own.

"We're a small corporation," Crimmins said. "To set up a separate alternative school would probably be cost prohibitive. We do not have large numbers that really qualify for something like this."

There are talks to put the school in Reynolds. However, a permanent spot has not been determined.