Chicago School District approves doubling of enrollment for next school year at Camelot’s Accelerated High School District cites need for alternative learning opportunities

(Chicago – January 25, 2013)

Citing the need for more alternative learning opportunities for students who have dropped out of school and students in danger of dropping out, the Chicago Board of Education has voted to double Camelot’s accelerated high school enrollment next school year.

Camelot is currently contracted to serve up to 375 students at its Excel Academy, Chicago on W. 111th Street on the city’s South Side. A second location serving an additional 375 students will be added in September in the Englewood community.

“This is an opportunity for us to collaborate with the nation’s third largest school district and bring a Camelot solution to a population of students that will greatly benefit,” said Camelot CEO Todd Bock. “We plan to borrow from our experience in Philadelphia where the synergy of our model and the school district’s curriculum has led to dramatic improvement in scholastic outcomes and graduation rates.”

Chicago has 56,000 students who are either out-of-school, have dropped out, are an unverified transfer student, or are still actively enrolled in a public school but more than a year off-track.

“Chicago has a tremendous need for the kind of programming we offer. As we have shown, in the right school culture these vulnerable students can and do take advantage of a second chance to prepare themselves for college or other kind of post-secondary education. We’re already seeing the results at our first Excel Academy, which opened last September,” Bock said.

The Chicago School District used four criteria in determining Camelot’s and other school’s qualifications as a partner: academic capacity; operational capacity; economic soundness; and community engagement.

In addition to the Excel Academy in Chicago, Camelot operates six therapeutic day schools in suburban Illinois communities.