CLAREMONT — For Gracie Williams, the River View Chartered Public School offered a new beginning in her educational path that she desperately needed.

Stevens High School was not working for her, and Williams was falling behind in credit requirements for graduation. In September, when the River View school opened, Williams was among the first students.

“When I came here I basically became a new person,” said Williams, 17 and a junior, during a break at the school recently. “I like going to school now and have plans for college.”

She attributes her new outlook to the small setting and staff at River View.

“I think the one big thing that played a really big part in having more success in my education was the staff and having the supports that I needed,” she said. “There are expectations but I feel like I am able to talk to them and communicate with them.”

River View, one of 35 charter schools in New Hampshire, opened its door — virtually — in September before moving into the second floor of the Claremont Learning Partnership, or CLP, in late December after renovations were completed. The space includes classrooms, a community room, staff offices  and a small kitchen and dining area.

“Our mission is to provide an alternative educational experience, helping students at risk of not graduating achieve academic and social success while working towards their educational goals,” River View’s Executive Director Cathy Pellerin said in an email. “Students are supported, guided, and encouraged to take responsibility for their education.”

The school currently serves 14 students from Sullivan County between the ages of 14-21. It has opened enrollment for the fall and can accept up to 40 students.

“Our hope (is) we will be full next fall,” Head of School Heather Shepard said during an interview with Pellerin at River View in May.

‘All about choice’

Pellerin, who started CLP and owns the building at 169 Main St., across where the Sugar River runs underneath the Main Street bridge, saw firsthand the need for an educational space that would help a population of students that for a host of reasons, had fallen far behind in their academic requirements.

As the “homeless liaison” for SAU 6, which includes Claremont and Unity, Pellerin said several years ago the district allowed the CLP to be an educational facility for pregnant and parenting teens to help them complete their education.

When CLP opened Oasis, a teen shelter in 2021, Pellerin said she came to realize there were students who had not “prioritized” their education and from that came the idea to apply for charter school designation.

“We had to do something for these kids who don’t fit in, not because Stevens is doing anything wrong. It is not that we don’t believe in the education Stevens provides, because we do. It is a great school,” Pellerin said. “It is all about choice and why have a student struggle in an environment that doesn’t fit if they can find a program that does fit.”

In addition to providing academic support, River View staff are dedicated to building trusting relationships and connections with each student, Pellerin said.

“Emotional and social support is as important as academics,” she said. “They have to trust you. We are pushing them because we care and we know they can do it and we know where education can help them go. If you build that relationship, most of these kids will do whatever you ask of them because they don’t want to disappoint you.”

Pellerin emphasized that students are not “placed” at River View because of behavioral or other issues. “It is a choice to come here. You have to be self-motivated.”

River View gets referrals and people learn about the school through word of mouth. Initially, interested students and their families are directed to the website for an admission application. A tour of the building and an explanation of the programs are the next steps. Shepard said the process, including interviews, is very involved so there is no misunderstanding of student expectations because having to expel someone can be problematic.

“If we think they would be a good fit, we go through the enrollment process.” Shepard said.

Transcripts, behavior and attendance — some had not been to school regularly for a couple of years — are what Shepard and Pellerin look at when they learn a student is considering River View.

“You can learn a lot from those three things,” Shepard said, adding that the school is not equipped to deal with behavioral issues. “We are not a behavioral school. (With just a few staff members) We don’t have the capabilities to deal with those issues.”

Additional support

River View has a 20-credit requirement, the minimum needed under New Hampshire Department of Education guidelines, for a high school diploma. Students need four years of English and math, along with science, history, civics and economics. Students can participate in sports or other extracurricular activities offered at Stevens.

All of the school’s classes are online through the educational platform Edmentum. In addition to Shepard, River View has one teacher and one paraprofessional. It is looking to hire two more teachers. 

Pellerin and Shepard also want to expand the educational offerings through the River Valley Community College where students can earn college credit.

"We have some really smart kids and they can benefit from having credits under their belt when they leave high school," Pellerin said.

Edmentum offers the flexibility that allows students to do their work on their own time, whether during the day or at home. Additionally, with a small student body, River View can provide more individualized support to help students stay on track.

Edmentum “is not live so you can work at night or during school and we have on-site support,” Shepard said.

The teachers can step in and provide additional support for students who may be struggling with a subject.

“The expectation is that students work independently with support from staff,” Shepard said. “That is what we say during interviews. We know it does not fit everybody. Some students it works great for; some it doesn’t.”

Finding motivation

The student body is made up of high school students who have fallen behind academically and their circumstances have made it difficult for them to focus on their education, leaving them at risk of not completing high school, Shepard said.

Some are young parents, others have work or family obligations, while some have mental health issues, are in recovery from addiction or experienced bullying.

One student at River View has to take his siblings to elementary school each day around 8:15 a.m. before coming to River View, Pellerin said.

If he were to have that schedule at Stevens, he would be considered late every day, she said.

“We have students who don’t fit into the traditional public school setting,” Shepard said.

Julieanna Waterman, 16, said the curriculum offers her the right balance of being challenging but not so difficult that she can’t complete her assignments.

“I like it here because I’m getting the education I need,” said Waterman, who previously attended Stevens. “Personally, I like it here because being smaller is a better environment than with a large student body. You work on your own with support from staff.”

After beginning the year in September with only half the credits that she would need after her freshman year, Waterman now is on track to complete her credit requirements for a sophomore, Shepard said. 

“She has made up a significant amount of work,” Shepard said, adding that credit recovery is part of the educational program at the school. “At the beginning of the year she was not as on task.”

Susan Schneider, the mother of a junior at River View, said her son, Elias, has benefited from the school's format. At Stevens, he had trouble focusing and his attendance suffered. The SAU 6 truancy officer, Terry Casey, recommended River View, Schneider said.

"It is working at his own pace is why it works for him and he doesn't have to listen to long lectures," Schneider said. "He can focus on what he needs to get done and when he is finished he can get ahead on his work or leave for the day and do other things. That is motivation for him."

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.