Odyssey Charter School starts to grow

Terry Webster

Friday, July 13, 2001 | 10:21 a.m.

Following a difficult start-up, Odyssey Charter School is expanding.

The kindergarten through eighth grade school, based on home instruction on computers, will add grades nine and 10 this fall.

Last year the school had about 350 kids in grades kindergarten through eighth. Around 450 are expected this year. Odyssey officials expect to have a total of 180 students in grades nine and 10.

The school's charter was expanded to include the high school grades Thursday by the Clark County School Board.

Many of the students now in the school's eighth grade will be continuing on to ninth grade, said Craig Butz, Odyssey's educational administrator.

Several parents and students spoke in support of Odyssey's program.

Odyssey students use a computer program at home to complete lessons that align to state standards required at all public schools, said Butz.

The high school students also will be required to meet all state requirements in order to earn a diploma -- including passing the High School Proficiency Exam.

He also said textbooks are being added this year and each student will receive closer scrutiny.

"We have teachers available for up to four hours a day on an individual basis," Butz said.

He estimated students will receive a minimum of nine hours of face-to-face contact per week with other students and teachers.

Aside from home lessons, the school has field trips and other activities that involve all students.

School Board members said they have reservations about adding more students.

The school this year was designated by the state as needing improvement. The state makes the designation based on scores from the TerraNova exam, which is given in grades four, eight and 10 in the Clark County School District.

Butz said the school also is concerned about test scores and is working hard to raise them.

Vee Wilson, Odyssey's administrator, pointed out that the scores were reflective of the student's ability.

"That's where they were at when they came to the school," he said.

Now operating for two years, Odyssey came under scrutiny by the Nevada Department of Education in April 2000 when an audit revealed discrepancies in enrollment figures.

The state threatened to cut off funding, which would have led to the school's closure. The state and the school later reached an agreement to preserve the charter.

At the same time, state officials questioned student activity logs that gave students academic credit for activities like playing checkers and cleaning their rooms.

Those issues also were resolved between the state and the school.