Page 34 - BusinessWest April 18, 2022

‘Portrait of a Graduate’ was developed through the design team and embodies the vision of Veritas — that all of its scholars will “emerge as woke citizens, innovators, leaders of tomorrow, and learners for life.”
An important element of this mission includes the opportunity to earn up to 30 college credits — two years of college worth — completely free of charge. These college credits can be transferred to any state college or university. Students can even potentially earn an associate degree by the time they graduate high school.
“Too few Springfield students complete college degrees, and since we will have our students through high school, we want to go ahead and give them access to college courses while we can support them to earn some credits, tuition-free,” Romano noted.
Currently, only 26.4% of Springfield residents obtain a higher-education degree, compared to almost 50% statewide. Veritas is seeking to address key barriers to higher education such as access, lack of preparation, and cost.
“Our middle school is always focused on getting our students set up with a vision of themselves in col- lege and pointing them toward high school ready to be on a college prep track. What we learned is that even that is sometimes not enough,” she went on. “We really are centering the need in Springfield for degree completion. We know degree completion is going to significantly increase the earning poten-
tial, health, and quality of life for our students and their families; earning a degree has been an asset that’s been pretty elusive for many Springfield Public School students.”
The Springfield community was prioritized throughout the entire planning process. Veritas schol- ars have played a key role in the planning and devel- opment of the new high school, providing input on
everything from the school’s design to its curriculum. Students will have multiple areas of study to choose from that cover a wide range of high-impact careers, including health sciences, engineering, education, and more.
“With the right voices at the table, we have been able to reimagine what high school can look like and create a compelling, career-focused, early-college model,” Romano said.
Veritas Prep High School is following a career- focused early-college program. Students will not be able to select any course they want from the catalog, but rather will have pathways to choose from that are
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we have been able to reimagine what high school can look like and create a compelling, career-focused, early- college model.
aligned with career trajectories. Veritas seeks to place its students on pathways where they can be certain about getting jobs and earning a good living.
Not only will students have the option to take col- lege classes during their time at Veritas Prep High School, but they will also be able to get relevant and beneficial certificates — for example, a certificate in Google Suites or a nurse-aide certification for stu- dents who are in the health-sciences trajectory.
“We’re really trying to equip them with meaning- ful experiences in the high-school years that will send them off to hopefully four-year degree programs,”
Romano said, while helping those who plan to work immediately after high school access gainful employ- ment experiences while they work their way through school.
Even though charter schools operate a bit differ- ently from their traditional public-school counter- parts, they serve the community in a similar way. Charter schools were created from federal legislation with the intention of creating innovative schools within the public-school space while providing par- ents with choices.
Although students do have to apply to Veritas, there is no selection criteria — as long as a student has a mailing address in Springfield, the opportunity to attend is open to them.
“We’re really excited to open a new campus this August ... we will have some vacant seats available for other Springfield students to join our inaugural class as well,” Romano said.
Current eighth-graders at Veritas are guaranteed a place in the new high school, and a lottery will be held to fill the remaining spots. The high school will expand by one grade per year up through grade 12.
Class Act
When discussing the immense impact Veritas Prep High School will have on the Springfield community, Romano spoke of the unlimited academic and social potential that Springfield students possess.
Given the opportunity, any student can achieve the goals they set their mind to, she insisted. “Veri- tas scholars will become changemakers who are equipped to choose their path, challenge inequity, and transform the world.” u
With the right voices at the table,
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