Only snag stems from school’s unique student pickup system

Yesterday was the first day of school at the county’s first-ever charter school, Excelsior Academy, and the only hiccup in an otherwise smooth day was the student pickup system.

The school has two drop-off and pickup lanes. One is for those students coming from the Tooele City area and the other for students from the rest of the county. Those directing cars have handheld radios hooked up to the PA system, allowing them to announce when a particular carpool arrives so teachers can release the kids for that carpool. But the system backed up yesterday.

“We got through the whole thing in 45 minutes, but it’s not where I want to be,” said Excelsior Academy Director Ernie Nix, who said many charter schools take an hour and a half to complete the pickup process. “I want to get it down to 20 minutes.”

Otherwise, Nix said opening day was “exceptionally smooth” as 648 uniform-wearing students in grades kindergarten through eight, settled into their classes.

There are roughly 30 teachers at the school, hailing from across the country.

“We have phenomenal staff,” Nix added. “These people are highly qualified, degree-certified teachers.”

A few finishing touches still need to be done at the school, including installing rubber tiles rather than wood chips for the playground and installing playground equipment. Grass in the back of the school should be in by the spring, as it will be seeded. Basketball standards were just installed over the weekend.

Students will be on a rotating schedule for music, art and P.E.

“I believe in a balanced education,” Nix said.

Nix stressed the power of volunteers in helping the school run.

“This is the result of a lot of people pulling together,” he said.

Nix said Excelsior is preparing students not just for high school but for college afterward.

“We’re giving them tools to succeed in life,” he said. “My kids, when they leave here, will be exceptional readers. They’ll be able to write at a high level and do math at high levels. If a kid can read, write and do math well, they’ll have success.”

He added that’s particularly the case with the eighth-grade students, who have only one year at Excelsior before heading off to high school.

“We’re going to do all we can for them to be a success at the high schools,” Nix said, adding it’s his hope that in two or three years there will also be a high school component to the charter school.

Nix said Excelsior’s opening was exactly as he hoped it would be.

“It’s warm, friendly, caring and inviting, while at the same time maintaining an academic standard second to none,” he said.

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com