District introduces new alternative learning plan for 2024-25 school year

Marion Technical Institute [Jennifer Hunt Murty/Ocala Gazette] 2024.

Students who are expelled, suspended or require accommodations will no longer attend the two alternative learning schools in Marion County, after the district dissolved the sites and instituted a new alternative learning plan.

The district’s previous alternative learning schools, New Leaf and Silver River Mentoring & Instruction, were dissolved over the summer after the expiration of the three-year-long contract Marion County Public Schools had with the parent company.

The alternative learning program will include expanding the current program at Marion Technical Institute, adding two elementary Positive Alternative to School Suspension (PASS) sites, and then also utilizing the other existing PASS sites.

The existing secondary PASS sites are located at Dunnellon High School, Howard Middle School, West Port High School, Lake Weir High School, Forest High School and North Marion High School. There are 75 students who will be relocated to PASS sites, putting about 12 or 13 additional students at each location.

Students who need accommodations, who have an Individualized Education Program, will not be grouped in with students serving suspensions at PASS sites—they will be relocated to MTI to work with support facilitators and receive grade-appropriate instruction.

Students in alternative learning were previously served through a contract with SRMI, through two site locations, which served all of kindergarten through 5th grade students, and 6th grade through 12th grade students in the exceptional student education program, said Annie Hembrook, senior executive director of student pathways.

The contract that Marion County Public School has had for the last three years expired on June the 30th, 2024. In the contract, the district paid a total of about $4.1 million per year for 140 seats at New Leaf at $11,102 per seat, 300 seats at SRMI at $6,124 per seat, and about $750,000 for transportation.

The district also provided speech-language therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, interpreters, social workers and psychologists for the New Leaf site.

“We have an incredible opportunity here to provide specific interventions and support and track these students,” Hembrook said. “We’ll be able to track the completion of coursework to help students that who are deficient and help get them back on track to graduate on time.”

The expulsions that were recommended for the 2023-24 school year were 147 students to SRMI,66 to New Leaf, 52 students to the alternative learning program at MTI, two students with no academic services, and one student recommended to return to their county of residence, Hembrook said.