The board of the Effingham Gateway to College Academy for at-risk and dropout students has opted to terminate its charter because of low enrollment, lengthy advancement rates for some and financial strains.

 

“Because everyone worked so closely together since the program’s startup, they all saw the enrollment struggles and the slow progression of students,” said Gail Eubanks, spokesperson and executive director of enrollment management and marketing at Savannah Technical College. “In today’s climate of accountability, they also all saw the need to manage resources well, and it became clear to everyone that this would likely be the course of action.”

 

Gateway to College is part of a national program that was established locally in Savannah in September 2008 and in Effingham in January 2009. It partners STC with the county school system. Housed on the STC Savannah and Effingham campuses, it was intended as a dropout recovery program, helping students ages 16-20 who had dropped out or were on the verge of dropping out of high school remediate and earn their diplomas. Instructors catch the students up on the basics and then amalgamate them into college courses on campus.

 

 

For more see Friday's edition of the Herald.