Unfortunately, it seems challenging to quantify the difference that ACS makes in this community and for the students that attend. ACS, as its name belies, is meant as an alternative for those students who may not be served as well in the standard setting. It is difficult to measure how the typical student who enters ACS performs compared to how that same student would perform in the standard educational setting offered by the other middle and high schools. I agree that funding has to be a fair playing field in serving the needs of students in the community. It does not appear as if ACS is endowed in an unfair manner when you see the science labs that cannot begin to compare to the resources that Boynton and DeWitt enjoy.
Space is cramped for the students and staff.
I applaud Mr. Lambert's fiscal responsibility and I can only hope that the evaluation of ACS can be achieved to Mr. Lambert's satisfaction and to anyone else who examines the issues. My own child was served well in elementary school with excellent teachers, but I cannot say that he thrived to the extent that he was excited or happy about school. It was a constant struggle for him. ACS has been the answer for my child and now he is thriving in school. It would appear to be true for many other children and parents.