PRESS RELEASE Summit Charter School/Summit School of the Poconos
December 13, 2019
PRESS RELEASE
SUMMIT SCHOOL OF THE POCONOS PRESENTS SUMMIT CHARTER SCHOOL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 10, 2019
Contact Info: Jennifer Olson, Board President
(570) 664-1229
jennifero@summitschoolpoconos.org
MONROE COUNTY, PA - Board members of Summit School of the Poconos announce that
they plan to convert from a licensed private school to a public charter school. The board
submitted their application for charter school status to the Pocono Mountain School Board last
month.
A press conference will be held at the Summit School of the Poconos current location, 135
Burson Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at 4pm.
Summit School officials say education options that are accessible to everyone regardless of
economic status are not only lacking in Monroe County, they are desperately needed. Summit
School receives daily messages from parents expressing a desire to enroll their children but a
financial inability to do so. 41% of residents in Monroe County are considered to be either at the
poverty level or are working to survive, and half of the School’s students qualify for and receive
financial aid each year that must be raised through fundraising and philanthropic efforts.
“Some students need an educational model that is not supported in a traditional setting,” says
Katherine Hernandez, Education Director. “Because all learners are different, our community
requires a variety of educational institutions to honor and meet various learning styles and needs.
All students should be able to find a place in which to thrive as they prepare for success in the
larger world.”
A public hearing will be held at the Pocono Mountain West High School Auditorium on
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 6pm. An inclement weather date of Friday, December 20,
2019 at 3pm has been reserved. A decision in regards to approval is expected by May 2020.
Summit School of the Poconos has been operating as a private school, licenced through the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, since 2016. Board members say they see no reason for a
denial of their application other than a personal adversity to charter schools in general. “We’re
atypical. Most charter school applications are still a dream on paper when they’re submitted.
We’re not just telling you what we’re going to do, we can show you,” says Jennifer Olson, Board
President. “We’ve built an excellent reputation in our area since our inception with parents,
teachers, staff, and board members who continue to support our mission and can speak for the
school. We also have overwhelming support from local businesses and organizations, many of
whom have submitted letters of support that have accompanied our application. We are
compliant, transparent, and our board members are successful professionals with deep
community roots. We will do this, and we’ll do it right.”
“We hope that Pocono Mountain District officials will accept our genuine desire to join efforts
and work collaboratively to benefit all. This should not be about us versus them. It should be
about educating students to the best of our ability and recognizing what that means, even if we
don’t like the answer,” says Brett Riegel, Esq., Summit School Board Member.
If the Pocono Mountain School District approves the charter School’s application, the charter
School plans to open in September 2020. If the Pocono Mountain District denies the charter
application, board members say they will appeal to the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Charter Appeal Board, and would expect a positive outcome of approval there. In that scenario,
they would expect to open in September 2021.
Pre-enrollment for Summit Charter School is now open. Visit www.summitschoolpoconos.org
for more information.
Summit School provides a movement-rich, project-based environment, grounded in shared
governance, where students demonstrate an active voice and ownership in their education.
Summit School of the Poconos has been operating as a private school, licenced through the
Pennsylvania Department of Education since 2016. The school is currently located in East
Stroudsburg. Once Summit Charter School is approved and operating, Summit School of the
Poconos (private) will dissolve, making the education they provide free and available to more
students in the community. Summit Charter School will be located in the southern area of the
Pocono Mountain School District. School officials expect to announce the exact location in the
coming weeks.
###
SUMMIT SCHOOL OF THE POCONOS PRESENTS SUMMIT CHARTER SCHOOL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 10, 2019
Contact Info: Jennifer Olson, Board President
(570) 664-1229
jennifero@summitschoolpoconos.org
MONROE COUNTY, PA - Board members of Summit School of the Poconos announce that
they plan to convert from a licensed private school to a public charter school. The board
submitted their application for charter school status to the Pocono Mountain School Board last
month.
A press conference will be held at the Summit School of the Poconos current location, 135
Burson Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at 4pm.
Summit School officials say education options that are accessible to everyone regardless of
economic status are not only lacking in Monroe County, they are desperately needed. Summit
School receives daily messages from parents expressing a desire to enroll their children but a
financial inability to do so. 41% of residents in Monroe County are considered to be either at the
poverty level or are working to survive, and half of the School’s students qualify for and receive
financial aid each year that must be raised through fundraising and philanthropic efforts.
“Some students need an educational model that is not supported in a traditional setting,” says
Katherine Hernandez, Education Director. “Because all learners are different, our community
requires a variety of educational institutions to honor and meet various learning styles and needs.
All students should be able to find a place in which to thrive as they prepare for success in the
larger world.”
A public hearing will be held at the Pocono Mountain West High School Auditorium on
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 6pm. An inclement weather date of Friday, December 20,
2019 at 3pm has been reserved. A decision in regards to approval is expected by May 2020.
Summit School of the Poconos has been operating as a private school, licenced through the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, since 2016. Board members say they see no reason for a
denial of their application other than a personal adversity to charter schools in general. “We’re
atypical. Most charter school applications are still a dream on paper when they’re submitted.
We’re not just telling you what we’re going to do, we can show you,” says Jennifer Olson, Board
President. “We’ve built an excellent reputation in our area since our inception with parents,
teachers, staff, and board members who continue to support our mission and can speak for the
school. We also have overwhelming support from local businesses and organizations, many of
whom have submitted letters of support that have accompanied our application. We are
compliant, transparent, and our board members are successful professionals with deep
community roots. We will do this, and we’ll do it right.”
“We hope that Pocono Mountain District officials will accept our genuine desire to join efforts
and work collaboratively to benefit all. This should not be about us versus them. It should be
about educating students to the best of our ability and recognizing what that means, even if we
don’t like the answer,” says Brett Riegel, Esq., Summit School Board Member.
If the Pocono Mountain School District approves the charter School’s application, the charter
School plans to open in September 2020. If the Pocono Mountain District denies the charter
application, board members say they will appeal to the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Charter Appeal Board, and would expect a positive outcome of approval there. In that scenario,
they would expect to open in September 2021.
Pre-enrollment for Summit Charter School is now open. Visit www.summitschoolpoconos.org
for more information.
Summit School provides a movement-rich, project-based environment, grounded in shared
governance, where students demonstrate an active voice and ownership in their education.
Summit School of the Poconos has been operating as a private school, licenced through the
Pennsylvania Department of Education since 2016. The school is currently located in East
Stroudsburg. Once Summit Charter School is approved and operating, Summit School of the
Poconos (private) will dissolve, making the education they provide free and available to more
students in the community. Summit Charter School will be located in the southern area of the
Pocono Mountain School District. School officials expect to announce the exact location in the
coming weeks.
###
Contact:
Jennifer Olsen
director@summitschoolpoconos.org, (570) 664-1229
