Phoenix Charter Academy relocates quarters

REVERE – A larger location in Chelsea and a focus on college preparation are two of the major changes marking the start of the Phoenix Charter Academy’s new school year.The school relocated during the summer from Clark Avenue into a Nichols Street building with more classroom space. Thirty volunteers from the local real estate firm CB Ellis spent part of this week painting rooms and making other preparations for the new academic year.Phoenix opened in the fall of 2006 with the goal of giving teenagers who dropped out of high school or who were facing family difficulties a second chance at graduating.Its initial enrollment included 20 Lynn and eight Revere students ages 15 to 21. Phoenix’s goal is to enroll 200 students by 2009.The school summary of its student population in 2007 indicated 40 percent were “currently involved in the criminal justice and social service system; 30 percent receive special education services and a quarter come to the Academy reading at below the sixth grade level.”Phoenix graduated its first class in June. The seven students included six teenage mothers who attended school while their children spent the day in the school’s childcare center.The school also offered a three week long summer academy offering morning classes and field trips to Blue Hill Reservation and a college campus tour of Northeastern University.The academy launches its Phoenix Through College program this fall focusing on college-level skills and college application skills.