The San Bernardino Unified School Board of Education has renewed the charter for Options for Youth (OFY) Charter School. OFY has operated within the school district for ten years and enrolls students from grades 7-12.
There are so many reasons why a student would choose the route of a mostly Independent Study type program. First and foremost, we have a lot of students that are barred from attending a traditional school because of medical reasons. For instance, there are diabetic students who need insulin, asthmatic students who are prone to asthma attacks, the mentally ill kids that have anxiety and or depression, autistic kids who find the overwhelming social constructs of traditional middle schools and high schools too chaotic for them. There are lots of reasons why kids need this option to learn.
I am happy to see a school board take these and the other factors that students and parents have into consideration in order to provide a choice that fits them and their life. OFY is not just a school for at-risk kids. It is a school for kids who require an alternative to the traditional all day models.
Congratulations to the students and parents of SBCUSD and kudos to Board of Education for providing options for their students and families.
To learn more about Options for Youth, please check them out here!