RINCON — Crossroads Academy is designed to be the first choice for second chances in the Effingham County School District. It is an alternative school whose mission is to provide a structured and supportive environment that will lead to a high school diploma and/or career success for students who have gotten off track for one reason or another.

“We’ve got good kids. They’ve just made some poor choices,” Crossroads Coordinator David Smith said. “Additionally, we have students who, for various reasons, have put themselves in academic situations where they might not graduate on time — or graduate, period — or you may have students looking to drop out for various reasons.”

Crossroads, in its second year, conducted its first commencement ceremony at Effingham College & Career Academy on Jan. 5. Six of 11 qualifying students participated.

“Whether it is a behavior assignment or they are coming here to finish their credit, we still want to provide those students and their parents an opportunity to see them walk across the stage,” Scott said. “They wouldn’t see them walk across the stage at South Effingham High School or Effingham County High School but we have provided them that opportunity to wear the cap and gown, receive their diploma from the superintendent and staff, and have that moment. It really solidifies that decision when you see them with smiles on their faces after they used to think the whole world was pushing them down.”

Smith found the ceremony gratifying, too.

“We are always going to address the needs of students not behaving in school but being able to provide an option to graduate is important, too,” he said. 

The district’s alternative school was previously run by Ombudsman Educational Services. It was brought in house a couple of years ago and is currently located at the former Rincon Elementary School. It spent the previous year at Marlow Learning Center.

Smith said students benefit from Crossroads even if they don’t graduate.

“In our setting, if a student decides they aren’t going to make it or for whatever reason, we do want to guide them in a direction to find success,” he said. “Ideally, we want them to get a high school diploma even if it takes five years to do it or a little bit longer. Some students, though, decide they have to move on because they have bills to pay or kids to support.

“In situations like that, I always like to sit down with the students and parents, and help them get something — even if that means going to Savannah Tech and doing a dual-enrollment program where you are getting a GED and you are getting training toward vocational certification.”

Some Crossroads seniors have opted for a logistics pathway at the career academy.

“We are starting to see those kids get really excited,” Smith said. “Logistics is huge in our area and the students finishing out that program are going to be in high demand.”

Smith also discusses the military option with some students. He is a member of the Air National Guard.

“We are still in our infancy. We are still crawling, to but honest with you, but the superintendent (Dr. Randy Shearouse) and the (school) board’s vision is — as we move into next year — we are going to try to open up even more options for students.”

For more information about Crossroads, call (912) 754-2511.