Proposal

Name: Saint Laurence Education, Inc.

Address: PO Box 801127, Acworth, GA 30101

Contact: Alen Brown, Executive Director or Gail Snipes, Ph.D., Principal

Phone: 770 422-3826/678-574-0095

Email: ab@saintlaurence.net or gail@saintlaurence.net

Web Site: www.saintlaurence.net

Saint Laurence Education, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit organization.

Mission: to provide a firm educational foundation for low-income, under-served middle grade youth that will allow them to excel in high school and continue with further education. Ultimately, this will free them from the cycle of poverty and allow them to give back to their community; thereby living out God’s plan for their lives.

Executive Summary

Children are our greatest resource. Yet year after year, capable, intelligent children fall through the cracks of our entire education system. They enter high school woefully unequipped for the rigors of high school curriculum and for the social/societal pressures they must endure. In Paulding County, Georgia, in a state ranked second to last in the nation, only 55% of the students who enter public high school in the 9^th grade graduate within the allotted four years*.

Low-income, minority children face the greatest barriers to success. Familial expectations and environment, societal/peer expectations and pressures, and teachers’ expectations generally combine to create a certainty of underachievement or worse—predestined failure. Children live up to our expectations. High expectations, which include high values and a commitment to contribute to society, lead to high achievement.

If we are to break the cycle of poverty, we must realize that change, real change, will happen one family at a time. Through opportunity, support, expectation, delivery of services to impact the entire family, we can create change. Our leaders of tomorrow must represent diversity, not only in race, but also in experience and origins, if we are to address complex social issues and meet the needs of all people.

Saint Laurence Middle School, a tuition-free, independent Episcopal middle school for low-income children, was created to meet this challenge. The founders of the school include professional educators with the experience and expertise to develop a program with superior services. They chose to base Saint Laurence Middle School on the highly successful model developed by the Nativity Educational Centers Network. Utilizing quality staff and proven methods that are hallmarks of existing Episcopal schools, Saint Laurence’s program will include an extended school day, an extended school year, individualized education, and a low student-teacher ratio, a program of graduate placement and support, and services to develop the whole family.

Private schools based on the Nativity Educational Centers Network model prove that middle school children given a sound educational foundation and the support and direction needed to develop a strong sense of self and sound self-esteem are able to excel and fulfill their potential. Nativity Network statistics show that 92% of the Nativity Network students graduate from high school and 80% attend college. At Amistad, a public 5-12 charter school with a model similar to the Nativity Network, 100% of the students who attended their first class graduated high school and are now attending college.

For the first 18 months of operations, the Saint Laurence Education will require approximately $343,000 to be obtained from foundations, corporations, individuals, sponsor groups, and nominal student fees. Expenses for this time period are startup costs. We expect to raise $228,000 from Foundations, $60,000 from Sponsor Groups and from individuals and $55,000 from Corporations.

Saint Laurence Education’s board and officers bring ninety years of educational experience, a wealth of business experience, the support of the local and diocesan community, guidance from Nativity Network and other school experts, and the encouragement and support of local private high schools to this initiative.

Statement of Need

To break the cycle of poverty, we must serve the children. Each generation holds the key to change, both through personal growth and through future contribution to society. An important aspect of Saint Laurence Middle School’s training is the importance of “paying forward,” helping another as tribute to the help received in addition to living a responsible, productive life.

There is no question of need. Our public schools are overcrowded; teachers are overworked. Test scores for Paulding County clearly illustrate the difficulty the public school system faces when test scores show that approximately ¼ of all children do not meet standards in learning basic reading, language arts, and math. For 8^th grade students, scores reveal that 19% do not meet standards in reading, 23% do not meet standards in English/language arts, and 27% do not meet standards in math. How can these students expect to compete in high school without these basic essential skills?

CRCT Test Scores for Paulding County	4^th grade 2004	6^th grade 2004	8^th grade 2004
Number of students not meeting standards in reading	20%	18%	19%
Number of students not meeting standards in English/language arts	20%	30%	23%
Number of students not meeting standards in math	22%	20%	27%

Project Description

The St. Laurence Episcopal Middle School will teach grades 5-8 in the Judeo Christian Tradition. The program will include an extended school day of approximately 11 hours and an extended school year through June that will include a camp experience for students during the summer. We will serve each child breakfast lunch, and dinner.

Each student will receive an individualized education addressing both strengths and weaknesses. At entry to the program, each child will be tested. Each will be given an individualized educational plan to ensure he/she receives the individual instruction required for successful completion of an aggressive fifth through eighth grade curriculum. Curriculum will be aligned with the requirements of the quality high schools our students will attend.

Integrated learning will be a hallmark of our teaching style, with skills and learning taught across the curriculum to ensure optimal transfer of learning. For example, integrated learning combines a science lesson with applicable math, writing, and research. Skill sets and lessons are applied and interwoven, utilized in combination to strengthen skills and provide practical application.

Curriculum for grades 5-8 will include Exploratory Subjects, Foreign Language, Language Arts, Math, Religion, Science, and Social Studies. It is important to note that children of all religions will be welcomed at Saint Laurence Episcopal Middle School. It is our goal to assist each child in finding his/her relationship with God, not to convert children to our religion.

Sixth grade math will include an overview of arithmetic and a preview of algebra and geometry. Seventh graders will study pre-algebra. Eighth graders will complete Algebra I. At each grade level offerings will allow students to work on an individualized basis.

Language arts and reading will include grammar, written expression, literature, oral presentation, critical thinking, word study, vocabulary, and research skills and research papers. Eighth grade will emphasize literature.

Classes will maintain a low student-teacher ratio of 15-1.

Parental involvement is required and a modest activity fee will be assessed. Parents must make a commitment of time to the school. Parent assistance is needed in the following areas: food service, tutoring, extracurricular activities, classroom assistance, mentoring, transportation, facilities maintenance, administrative assistance, and in kind donations. Parents will also be given the opportunity to fulfill their commitment by attending personal growth classes through Family Support Services. Classes will be developed to meet the needs of the families chosen. Current planning includes parenting classes, microenterprise development, resource and community referral, nutrition, and family enrichment activities.

Each graduate of our school will be placed in a quality high school. Partnerships have been developed with local private high schools for scholarships for our children. A Director of Graduate Support Services will be hired to ensure that graduates obtain optimum placement.

Our target date to open our doors with our first students is August 2006. We will begin our first two classes with 15 fifth grade female students and 15 fifth grade male students. When enrollment reaches capacity, the school will serve 120 students in the 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grades.

Population to be Served

The population to be served by The Saint Laurence Middle School is limited to low-income students in the Paulding County Area who meet the guidelines for the Federal Free/Reduced Lunch Program and also meet entrance requirements. For the 2003-2004 school year there were 4980 students in Paulding County eligible for the Federal Free/Reduced Lunch Program. Dallas Elementary at 55% students receiving free or reduced lunch will be our target school to serve.

Demographic Data

Paulding County is located 50 miles northwest of the city of Atlanta, and is one of many counties comprising the Metropolitan Atlanta Area. Of the three cities in Paulding County—Dallas, Braswell, and Hiram—Dallas is the largest.

The poverty rate in Dallas is 27%, as compared with 12% for the state of Georgia and 14% for the U.S. Additionally, the 2000 census indicated females headed 11% of the total households in Dallas with children less than 18 years of age compared to Georgia’s statewide figure of 8.6%.

The racial breakdown for Dallas is 86% white, 10% black, and 4% other. Of the adult population in Dallas, (25 and older), 48% completed high school education, compared to Atlanta’s rate of 70%, and Georgia’s rate of 71%. In Dallas, 5% completed a four-year college compared to Atlanta’s 27% and Georgia’s 19%. (From The Georgia Dept. of Community Affairs Cityscapes, demographics derived from 2000 Census).

Students will be recruited via our existing tutoring program, community organizations, referrals and bulletin boards. As the Saint Laurence School will be located in Dallas, we expect to draw the majority of our students from Dallas Elementary School, where 55% of the students meet Saint Laurence’s income guidelines. Students will be admitted based on a demonstrated commitment to learning as well as performance on achievement tests.

Budget

The following budget represents 18 months; the last six months of fiscal 2005 and all of fiscal 2006. Our fiscal year runs July through June. These are startup costs. Facilities expenses do not include the purchase of land or a building, but a strong possibility exist that this will also happen prior to the opening of the school.

	2005	2006
Personnel	$60,167	$226,333
Facilities	$500	$66,500
Curriculum	$0	$45,000
Extra Curricular	$0	$8,000
Admissions	$2,500	$7,000
Administration	$16,000	$26,000
Insurance	$2,250	$3,000
Development	$3,000	$13,000
Outreach	$1,000	$2,000
Partnership Development	$500	$1,000
Contingency	$2,000	$2,000
Total	$87,917	$399,833
Monthly Cash Flow	$14,653	$33,319
(Total / 12)
Sources of Funding
Foundations	$60,000	$190,000
Corporations	$0	$34,000
Individuals/Sponsor Groups	$20,000	$180,000
Student Fees
	$80,000	$404,000

Organizational History

Saint Teresa’s Episcopal Church’s long history of ministry to the poor took a new turn in the fall of 2001 when The Rev. Scott Kidd delivered a sermon calling for volunteers to join him in an effort to create an Episcopal school in Paulding County for low-income children. St. Teresa’s parishioners donated accounting services, attorney services, assistance with the facility search, expertise to create Saint Laurence Education’s business plan and initial funding.

From its inception, Saint Laurence Education moved toward its goal to create a private middle school serving low-income 5^th-8^th graders.

• In February of 2003, St. Laurence’s began a tutoring program for low-income Paulding County children in conjunction with the Paulding County Boys and Girls Club. This program was developed as the first step to create our school and as a means to begin immediate delivery of service to needy children. It has also served as a first step to develop partnerships and gain visibility in the community. In addition, the program has been an excellent means to fully assess the needs of the low-income students in the county. This year round tutoring program continues today at its location at the Boys and Girls Club of Paulding County and will continue once Saint Laurence Education opens its doors.

• In June of 2003, Saint Laurence Education began building ties with Paulding Collaborative and Paulding Chamber of Commerce. In 2004, Saint Laurence Education joined the new Planning for Paulding initiative.

• From July 1 through November 30, 2004 Saint Laurence conducted a thorough, in-depth feasibility study of the Saint Laurence school initiative and completed its business plan.

• Startup operations began for the school in January 2005 and will conclude with the opening of the school in August of 2006. Principal activities include both fundraising activities and curriculum development.

Board of Directors

Through presentations at Board meetings, at special events of the school, and through regular visits, the Board will maintain contact with faculty and staff. They will remain familiar with the ongoing life of the school and maintain enthusiasm to take the message about the school to the larger community. The eight-member Board of Directors of St. Laurence Education is comprised of members of the clergy, educators, and business people.

Name	Position	Address	Phone	Email
Betty Larson	Retired Middle Grades Teacher	4504 Jubilee Ct. Powder Springs, GA 30127	770-429-8116	bl@saintlaurence.net
Faith Turner Secretary	Retired School Psychologist	4019 Bay Royale Acworth, GA 30101	770-975-7571	ft@saintlaurence.net
Brian Acker	Business Man	9406 Logan Lane Douglasville, GA 30127	770-443-7521	brian@saintlaurence.net
Rev. Thomas James	Reverend	158 Martin Road SW Cartersville, GA 30120	770-382-2455	thomas@saintlaurence.net
Marvin McGill	Program Director	Boys and Girls Club of Paulding County 335A Academy Dr. Dallas, GA 30132	678-363-8570	mmcgill@bgcma.org
Rev. Canon Michael Owens	Reverend	PO Box 86 Sewanee, TN 37375	423-505-3146	michael@saintlaurence.net
Rev. Edit Woodling	Reverend/Interim Principal	25 Battle Ridge Place Atlanta, GA 30342	404-228-0723	edith@saintlaurence.net
Dr. Greg Matechak	Medical Doctor	87 Steward Ave. Marietta, GA 30064	770-713-7306	greg@saintlaurence.net

Staff

Alen Brown, Executive Director

Alen Brown comes to the Saint Laurence Middle School with a diverse background of experience. Graduating in 1983 with a B.S. in Physics/Mathematics from The University of the South, he began his career working in a public utility nuclear power station. Three years later he managed the instrument section of the radiation safety department. His next position was Radiation Safety Officer for the University of Georgia, where he managed compliance of researchers. The next 14 years he worked in sales and marketing. The first position was with a radiation safety equipment manufacturing company. In this publicly traded company, he acquired a wealth of knowledge about the corporate world. His next position was with a private company where he worked with schools via the marketing of scientific equipment for the classroom. In the fall of 2003, he began teaching science in a quality private high school while he pursued the development of Saint Laurence Education. He has also worked as a consultant in the technology field in Web site design and in E-commerce.

As Executive Director, Mr. Brown will be responsible for the day-to-day business operations of the school, including the overall management of staff, budget, fund raising and resources. He will serve as the primary point of contact for the Board of Directors.

Gail Snipes, Ph.D., Principal

Dr. Snipes has 27 years of experience in the field of education. She has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and college professor. She received her doctorate in educational administration in 1995 from Mississippi State University. The majority of her experience has been with at-risk students from rural and urban school systems. As a college professor Dr. Snipes taught educational leadership courses to future and practicing school administrators. As Principal she will oversee the school’s daily operations and academic program. In addition, she will be responsible for monitoring, supporting, and evaluating all teachers in their daily work at school. She will coordinate and approve professional development opportunities for teachers and be responsible for discipline and the well being of the students.

Betty Larson, Master Teacher

Betty Larson taught school for 30 years before retiring in 2003. For 26 of those years she taught at economically disadvantaged schools, teaching many at-risk students. She has also been involved with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and has worked at both Church Camps and Scout Camps. She has taught Sunday school and has tutored through the school systems for which she worked and through her Church. As Master Teacher Ms. Larson will assist the principal in overseeing the school’s academic program and will help plan and coordinate professional development opportunities for teachers. A second teacher will be hired before the school opens.

Sheila Morgan, Business Manager

Ms Morgan has an accounting degree from Chattahoochee Technical College. She has had experience as office manager and bookkeeper. As Business Manager she will handle all matters in the business office, working closely with the Executive Director. This position will be responsible for payroll, human resources, tracking the budget and ensuring adherence to it and general accounting functions.

TBH, (in later years) Development Director

The Development Director will report to the Executive Director and will be responsible for coordinating all fund raising and public relations activities. Specific responsibilities include:

• Work with Executive Director and Board to develop and implement a long-range fund-raising plan, including, but not limited to, individual and planned giving, grant writing, and special events.
• Implement all annual giving campaigns, personal solicitations, capital campaigns, and planned giving.
• Establish relationship with foundation and corporate communities; and work with Executive Director to write grants.
• Plan and coordinate special events.
• Develop a program of public information, including a newsletter and other mailing materials, news and media coordination, and public speaking engagements.
• Assure compliance with governmental fundraising regulations.

TBH, (in later years) Administrative Assistant

This individual will work in conjunction with the Executive and Principal to ensure smooth operation of the school. They will be involved with public communication and have flexibility to work where the biggest need arises.

TBH, (in later years) Graduate Support Coordinator

The Graduate Support Coordinator will handle graduate support with the guidance and support of clerical members and of the Board of Directors. The person who holds this position will build relationships with quality local High Schools.