Different Paths to Success for 20 years, McKinley Charter School has helped teens with challenges

photos by Staci Bowe |

ONE-ON-ONE WORK. McKinley Charter School staff member Kevin Mahoney, left, works with student Chris Miller. The school offers alternative paths for students who struggle in traditional environments.
ONE-ON-ONE WORK. McKinley Charter School staff member Kevin Mahoney, left, works with student Chris Miller. The school offers alternative paths for students who struggle in traditional environments.

Twenty years ago, educators in the Chippewa Valley realized a need in our community: education for students whose needs exceeded traditional schooling and social services. They believed students who struggled with disengagement, poverty, drug or alcohol abuse, homelessness, and teenage parenthood could graduate and go on to do remarkable things – they simply needed a different path to get there. So in April 1996, those paths were created in McKinley Charter School.

McKinley offers individualized paths to success through five different components: two onsite at the school, 1266 McKinley Road, and three that are offsite at the Juvenile Detention Center, the Eau Claire County Jail, and in individual student’s homes. All these programs ultimately result in either a credit or competency diploma – and a new outlook on life. “The (staff) there have reached through to many troubled souls and continue to every day they are within those walls,” says Travon Moore, a 2011 McKinley graduate.

“Our students are no different than any other school’s students. We just are able know their troubles, anxieties, and fears because of the way our school is set up.” – Nevada Franz, McKinley Charter School staff

Moore has gone on to become a licensed veterinary technician and works as an adjunct teacher at Globe University while pursuing his doctorate in hopes of one day becoming an anesthesiologist. While he acknowledges his own drive and commitment to furthering his education, he adds, “McKinley gave me opportunities I would never have had otherwise. It was the diploma I received at McKinley – along with the love and support – that allowed me to go after those goals in the first place. Without them I have no idea where I would be right now.”

“I don’t want our students to be labeled as ‘those kids,’ ” explains Megan McCrackin, competency component facilitator at McKinley. While some of the 140 current students have experienced homelessness and have struggled with mental health and AODA issues, their biggest problem is disengagement from the system. According to McCrackin and Nevada Franz, competency component support staff member, some students disengage early in their school careers, so by the time they reach middle or high school, they stop seeing value in their education. “They struggle in the larger classes and most have fallen behind in credits, or might need modified classes to allow for behavior interventions,” Franz explains. “Our students are no different than any other school’s students. We just are able know their troubles, anxieties, and fears because of the way our school is set up.” McCrackin agreed: “We have the ability to ask a student, ‘How are you doing today?’ and have time to hear the answer.”

McKinley is a charter school, so while it remains public and is part of the Eau Claire school district, the school is allowed more freedom in its structure and teaching methods. This liberty has not only turned students’ lives around but also has contributed to a great tenure record for the school: The most junior teacher has worked at McKinley for more than seven years. Franz, who has been there since the school opened, attributed teacher longevity to one thing: love. “Students know we love them; they can smell it, feel it, and see it!” she says. “Each day is a chance to turn it all around and try again.”

Susan Fanning, a parent of three McKinley graduates concurs. “I have always told my children they are smart,  and once they decide what they want to do in life they will be highly successful,” she says. “However, most kids don’t believe this just from a parent – especially when they don’t fit into society’s expectations or normal path.” Fanning says that McKinley’s staff reinforced her message in the classroom and delivered it with genuine care. “The biggest change to all three of my children is (that) they have been motivated to take ownership of their own learning. They have also been able to gain confidence after years of ‘failure’ in (other) schools. They all now believe in their success and their abilities.”

McKinley Charter School is holding its first ever reunion, celebrating 20 years and 1600 successful graduates, in August. With no PTA group to help cover the cost, McKinley is seeking donations from the community. The school has set a fundraising goal of $5,000 and plans to put any remaining money into greatest need and post-secondary endowment funds set up through the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation. If you want to make a donation or help with the reunion in any way, call the school at (715) 852-6910 or visit www.ecpsfound.org/funds/mckinley-charter-school-fund-today.