The board voted unanimously to approve the alternative school, which will be at Jackson Center, 329 Abbey Ave., for the upcoming school year.
Last spring, Dayton Public Schools staff proposed creating the space, which could be housed in two buildings the district owns or in a building it would have to purchase.
The two existing buildings house Mound Street Academy at 354 Mound St. and the district’s business offices at Jackson Center. Both buildings have drawbacks: Jackson Center is not being used as a school and lacks accessibility, while Mound Street would need to be reconfigured to work with an additional school.
The final building proposed was the former Bethel Church at 327 S. Smithville Road, which is still for sale.
Alternative schools educate students who otherwise would be suspended or expelled. Mound Street Academy is the district’s credit recovery program, which helps students who have already dropped out.
“We’re constantly trying to change the narrative that there are different functions of these schools,” said DPS board president Chrisondra Goodwine.
Board member Will Smith said he hoped the board could come up with a better name for the school.
“I hope we come up with a name because I don’t want to call it the alternative school,” he said. “That sounds like a dumping ground for people. But it’s going to take work.”
Montessori students are only continuing to seventh grade for the next school year and the board will have to revisit if they want to have an eighth grade the year after.
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