Future of COMPACT School Pending; Private Operator Eyed, Caution Urged

CORRECTION: A spokesman for Camelot Education corrected information in the below story on the county considering the organization to operate COMPACT School. Kirk Dorn said Camelot has been operating in Philadelphia since 2004. In Houston, a new superintendent arrived and took the program in-house. The move had nothing to do with performance, and Camelot was praised for its work by the superintendent.
CREST HAVEN – The closed Cape Educational COMPACT, a school in the Crest Haven Complex for “at risk” high school students, is gone but not forgotten by Freeholder Will Morey, who oversees educational programs.
At the Oct. 24 freeholder meeting, Morey reported that he traveled to Cumberland County to see where Camelot Education, an independent provider of alternative education, has been enlisted for the Millville-Vineland area.
Freeholders heard earlier in the year that the now-defunct program suffered from declining enrollment (about 20 were enrolled). Regardless, the county feels “compelled to look at another path forward that is really important for our kids,” Morey said at a July freeholder meeting.
Morey related that the county is in discussion with Camelot Education, which, according to their website, “is a national education leader serving the needs of alternative and special needs students.” Morey feels that success depends on getting students involved at an earlier age than high school. He wants to see if Camelot Education has a program that can begin for students in the sixth or seventh grade.
Morey said during his most recent visit to Vineland he discussed with Superintendent Mary Gruccio about Camelot. She was positive about the change made there, he indicated.
In this county, the school superintendents whose students are enrolled in COMPACT would have to pay the tuition cost, one of the reasons many of them opted to retain those students within their districts.
A resident, who identified herself as an Atlantic County superintendent and a districtwide director in this county, offered an opposing view to Camelot Education.
She cited a Slate article “Which indicates concerns I have,” she said.
She further cited Philadelphia and Houston school districts which “decided to get rid of Camelot.” She urged freeholders to “Look into this more carefully.”
Morey replied that he would view her information, and said all data at this point was part of the “vetting phase. We would like to have your input.”