Boarding schools are often associated with the rich and the privileged; as such, they are seen as an out-of-reach option for low-income families searching for high-quality education. But in a world of ever-increasing school choice, must boarding schools remain out-of-reach? Do tuition-free boarding schools that serve primarily academically struggling, low-income children exist?
The answer is yes, they do—but they’re extremely rare. A 2003 study from the University of Chicago interviewed policy experts, educators, child welfare and youth development professionals, and parents of children who attend boarding schools designed for students with social and economic disadvantages. The study concludes that “urban or community boarding schools represent a promising idea that deserves serious consideration.” Yet the authors are careful to point out that many people harbor concerns “about the meaning of out-of-home settings used primarily by low-income or minority children.” They cite America’s troubling legacy of using boarding schools for shameful reasons can lead to understandable suspicions about residential education models for low-income, high-need youth.
However, there are examples of places where the residential education model is already in place and working—and where families are thrilled with the results. In 2009, New York Times Magazine looked at the nation's first college-prep, tuition-free boarding school: the SEED school of Washington DC (also examined in the University of Chicago report). Run by the SEED Foundation, SEED DC is one three high-performing, college-preparatory public boarding schools that serve students from traditionally underserved communities. According to the foundation, approximately 98 percent of SEED students are minorities, 75 percent are Title I eligible, 91 percent have no family member who has attended college, and 12 percent are special-education students. SEED’s three campuses are located in Washington DC (a public charter), Miami (also a charter), and Maryland (a statewide public school). If there are more applications than openings, admission is determined by annual lotteries held in the spring. To apply, students must be rising sixth graders. The DC campus only requires that the student be a resident of DC, but both the Maryland and Miami schools require that students meet at least one “risk factor,” which could include (but is not limited to) being in foster care, having an immediate family member in prison, or having a record of suspensions, referrals, or chronic truancy. In terms of cost, donations cover the start-up operating costs, but public funds are used to cover operating costs after opening and vary depending on location. Needless to say, these schools are not inexpensive.
As for their achievement, SEED's results are impressive. In addition to academics, SEED boasts extraordinary student support services, mentoring, and college-transition services as well as plenty of activities, extracurriculars, and athletics. The schools also offer—with the aid of scholarships—plenty of “external opportunities” intended to enrich students outside the classroom, including service trips abroad, the experiment in international living (a program where high school students live abroad for a summer), the City Kids Wilderness Project, and a whole host of other programs.
In its plans for future schools, SEED’s website lists Ohio as a potential site. The story behind this is complex. SEED originally planned to open a school in Cincinnati in partnership with the Cincinnati Public Schools and with primary funding from the Farmer Family Foundation. The move was made possible by 2011 changes in law, which allowed for SEED and similar schools to open. The school's contract with ODE even permitted the department to close the school if it didn't meet its academic goals. The school planned to open in fall 2013, but in October 2012, the opening was delayed until fall 2014 due to issues with construction. By August of 2013, however, StateImpact reported that plans to open the school were dead. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the halt was due to the loss of funding from the Farmer Family Foundation, which decided to pull out due to “concern about the uncertainty around the biennial budget process.” In other words, even though the Ohio legislature had committed to help pay for SEED Cincinnati at the time, there was no guarantee that future legislators would do the same. The financial risk involved in relying upon appropriations instead of a regular funding stream was just too great. Despite this setback, the Farmer Family Foundation has said they remain dedicated to identifying ways to ensure quality education for at-risk youth.
So does the demise of Cincinnati’s SEED school mean the end of the residential model for at-risk students in Ohio? Not quite. The Plain Dealer reported in November 2014 that a company tied to the nonprofit Campus District Inc. is looking to lease and eventually buy Cuyahoga County’s old juvenile justice center and remodel it into a residential school geared toward struggling students. The executive director at Campus District not only confirmed that the group wants to open a residential school, but also that they’ve talked to leaders in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District about it—with the SEED schools offering a potential model. The Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools explicitly references a residential boarding school where “students would live and learn five or seven days per week with adult supervisors/teachers also living on campus.” With movement on the facilities front, it’s beginning to look like Cleveland could be the future location of a residential boarding school.
Only time will tell if boarding schools for at-risk students will become part of Ohio’s portfolio of schools. While the SEED school in Cincinnati didn’t pan out, the advent of a residential model in Cleveland—perhaps even based on the SEED model—seems promising. Issues around annual funding still exist, but if these issued are resolved, a residential model would be a welcome addition to Ohio’s school choice scene.
