Next year, students who enroll in the IC will attend school somewhere.
At this time, it’s not clear where.
The district is considering relocating the Innovative Center for Personalized Learning into the high school’s Raider Academy space, and the proposal has sparked concern among teachers and students who say such a shift could fundamentally alter how the program operates.
The IC operates as a micro school within the high school population and serves students seeking a non-traditional high school experience. Located on the lower level of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community Building at 3450 Lee Road, the program emphasizes personalized, project-based learning that gives students control over “when, where, how and what they learn” as they work toward graduation and post-secondary goals, according to the district website. “Officially designated as a blended-learning model, the IC allows students to complete coursework through a mix of online learning and in-person projects, with students spending at least 51 percent of their week on campus and up to 49 percent off campus through internships, community partnerships, college credit plus classes and other learning opportunities,” the website states.
The Raider Academy, located next to the south gym, is an alternative high school program designed to support students who require online credit recovery or a more structured pathway to graduation. The program serves primarily juniors and seniors and focuses on pacing students through required coursework.
Discussions about relocating the program among administrators, IC teachers and program coordinators unfolded over several meetings during the fall and have still not resulted in the communication of a final decision to IC students and families.
Superintendent David Glasner said the district is “planning thoughtfully for the future of the Innovative Center. While we have not yet made a decision on its location for next year, we will continue to focus on how to best meet the needs of our students in our plans.” Glasner said that options at the high school main campus are being considered, including the Raider Academy.
Glasner said that the district is continuing to plan for the IC for the coming years. “As far as the lease, we do have a lease with the City for the Stephanie Tubbs Jones space and we are working closely with the City on the plan for next year. I don’t have the details of the lease terms, however,” he said. He did not confirm whether the district plans to renew the lease next year.
“Whatever happens, we need a clear plan, a lot of communication, and input from all stakeholders to make this go smoothly,” IC math teacher Chris Mattern said.
“It’s very fluid here. It’s a very different learning environment,” Mattern said. “For people who want a little bit more control over what it is they’re learning and how they learn. That’s a lot of what we do.”
For example, students have earned English credits by writing and publishing books of fiction and poetry. Another student earned a History of Music credit by arranging versions of traditional American blues songs and recording an album.
There are 57 students currently enrolled in the Raider Academy, and 36 enrolled in the IC. According to Raider Academy Program Coordinator Shaunetta Tucker, the Raider Academy space can hold up to 30 students at a time. Raider Academy students are split into two groups; one group attends in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. Tucker said that students are scheduled individually based on “specific academic needs, credit status, and post-secondary goals.”
When students are not in the Raider Academy space, their schedules differ based on individual needs. Tucker said that some attend regular core and elective classes, some participate in work-study or career-based learning, and some engage in alternative programming or post-secondary readiness activities.
“The goal of this rotation model is to provide structured academic support while allowing students to continue participating in other required classes and individualized pathways,” Tucker said.
Mattern said that while the IC and the Raider Academy both aim to support students who may struggle in traditional settings, they serve different populations and rely on different instructional approaches. “I think from some perspectives, they’ve looked the same. So people think that they are the same, so they should combine, but they don’t really combine,” Mattern said. “We serve different purposes for different students for different reasons. People who come to us do not go to Raider Academy for the same reasons.”
IC student Brycen Wolf said that he spends half of his day at the IC. “I typically am at the IC for about four hours in the morning and then spend the rest of the day at home. Throughout this time I usually complete any given assignments. I am fully at the IC and not split between the IC and high school like many other students so my schedule is different than other IC students,” he said.
IC student Anna Maier said that she spends her morning on the high school main campus and arrives at the IC slightly after 4/5 period. “My friends won’t start arriving for another half hour, so I pick a subject to focus on. After that, my friends start arriving, so I check in with them and eat my lunch,” she said. “After lunch I like to check in with my teachers to make sure I am on pace and that we are on the same page. At 1:30, I have my math meeting with my math teacher, which is basically one on one tutoring for my math work — not required, but I find it helps me to stay on track and fully grasp the concepts. The rest of my day is focused on independent study for my IC coursework, but I never feel isolated because my teachers are always available to answer any questions I have.”
Tucker said that the Raider Academy is flexible in its approach to helping students. “We look at what the needs of a student are first so we can see how we can support them the most in this environment,” she said.
She said that she would not be concerned if the Raider Academy combined with the IC. “It will be a win-win for students as long as we work out the logistics,” she said. “It will open up other programs currently offered at the IC that are not available at the RA. The RA includes a virtual curriculum, which can be progressed if combined with the IC’s project-based curriculums to broaden student opportunities.”
Tucker said that the Raider Academy mainly comprises seniors, and that the transition would be the “fresh start of a new program with a fresh set of students.” She said that students are her first priority in a potential merge. “We want to make sure that students are going to be OK with this transition,” she said.
The IC’s current space comprises two main rooms where students and teachers work, a smaller instructional room, offices, bathrooms, a kitchen and a “quiet room” where students can take breaks.
Mattern said that the IC building does have limitations, and that teachers have raised concerns about emergency preparedness and accessibility, including the lack of necessary personnel on the premises. “If the IC were to move, one of the benefits would be being closer to all of the other things we don’t have here, like the nurse, administrators, counselors, lunches — some of those details that aren’t the education or the classroom,” Mattern said. Assistant Principal Katie Slifkin is currently the IC assistant principal.
However, Mattern said he is concerned about the IC operating in a different facility. “A lot of the space is conducive to keeping that environment, and if the space is not selected well, or if the space changes drastically, then some of that could be lost,” Mattern said.
IC Language and Literature teacher Amanda Woolley also said that the Raider Academy and IC serve different purposes. “The thought of combining, it’s like oil and water. In my mind, it just doesn’t work,” she said.
Woolley said that communication about the transition will be essential for IC students and parents. “The parents and the families of the IC are so involved. They care so deeply about this program, and they’ve seen it change their kids for the better, which is why we are really pushing for communication to the families as soon as possible with any detail,” she said.
IC student Luvirt Parker said that the IC has benefited his high school experience. “The IC has given me significantly more control over how I do my work and how fast I do it. Of course, I still have to adhere to due dates, but there is a level of flexibility that the IC gives its students that the high school can’t,” he said.
He said that the IC shouldn’t move to the main campus. “It contradicts the point of the IC. We use the IC building as a medium to explore student ideas and to push how far we can take a single idea. If we’re stuffed in the corner of this already chaotic high school, I don’t think we’ll have the same opportunities to do what the IC is here to do. Plus, the IC already consistently runs the risk of becoming a glorified study hall. The only way in my eyes to make sure that doesn’t happen is to keep allowing students to make amazing projects in an inviting and comfortable environment,” he said.
Maier said that the IC shouldn’t change locations. “I don’t think the IC should move to the Raider Academy. I am worried about the future of the program if it moves to the main campus,” she said. “I really do think the IC would change. I think so many students, myself included, have partially gone to the IC to get away from the hustle and bustle of the main campus. Placing the IC at the main campus does not give that separation.”
“I think that the IC serves a lot of our students as their safe space and their safe haven. Some of which choose the IC because compared to the main campus it makes them feel so much more safe, calm and secure,” Woolley said. “With the move potentially being back to the main campus, there’s a lot of students that could be affected negatively in a way because they see the space that we are in now as a safe space and main campus as not.”
Parker also said that he prefers the environment of the IC. “The environment there is positive and not silently depressing like the high school. Plus, I enjoy not hearing about a new fight every day,” he said.
“For me, the traditional format of classroom learning never really worked, especially in math and science,” he said. “I would find myself constantly zoning out and getting lost in all the numbers and variables. Keeping up was incredibly difficult for me. My teachers simply moved too fast for me.”
Maier also said that the IC offered her more personalized learning. “At the main campus, I felt like I was a small fish in a really, really big ocean, and I felt as though I was being viewed as a student, rather than a whole person. At the IC, student to teacher ratios are intentionally small, which not only helps with the feedback cycle of work common at the IC, but also with teacher-student relationships,” she said.
Dr. John Moore, director of curriculum and instruction, said that when considering the specialized services and resources that students receive at the IC, he reviews the district’s equity policy. “In this case, I rely on what it describes as targeted universalism: school-based programs and opportunities will be designed and implemented using targeted universalism,” he said. “Said programs and opportunities must be accessible to all students, but can, and in some cases should, be targeted to provide specific supports for select students to achieve or exceed the district’s universally high goals.”
“Not every student in Shaker needs or gets the same resources, but we hope to target them where needed and then evaluate how effective we’ve been at addressing the need. I see the IC in that same vein — a targeted support,” he said.
Maier said that IC students haven’t been authentically included in conversations about a relocation. “I feel like students have been asked for their opinions, but I feel as though our opinions have not been seriously considered,” she said.
However, Wolf said that the transition could benefit the program. “I think moving could potentially spread the word about the IC and attract more students. In my opinion, that would be a positive thing and give more students the opportunity to experience and benefit from the program,” he said.
Maier said that more enrollment in the IC, however, could change the program’s structure. “I think the program is getting more attention is a very complex issue. I think many students would benefit from having an IC-style learning environment, but the learning environment relies heavily on low student-to-teacher ratios,” she said. “More attention and enrollment in the IC would require hiring more teachers to keep the ratio.”
Maier said that she still plans to take classes at the IC, even if its location changes.
“I do think this change would make it more difficult to stay, but between having no IC and IC at main campus, I think the majority would choose the IC at main. Location of the IC does matter, but the community of the IC is really the thing that makes it so special. I plan to stay,” she said.
Mattern said that decisions must be made soon. “It’s scheduling season, and everyone should know what’s going on so that they can schedule with a full understanding,” he said. Counselor meetings with students to create next year’s schedule are underway and will conclude Feb. 27 with eighth grade.
“I’m afraid that the IC will lose both its district support and its soul in the transfer,” Maier said.
Wolf said that he wants more communication regarding the IC. “I’d like a clear explanation of the reasons behind potentially moving the IC. The answer I’d hope for would be one that outlined why they are considering the move and how it would likely affect IC students,” he said.
The district would only confirm that the high school main campus is under consideration to house the IC and did not reply to a question about whether it could remain at the Stephanie Tubbs Jones building next year.
Slifkin said that discussions regarding the IC’s location next year are ongoing. “We look for opportunities that best meet the needs of our students and provide as many resources and opportunities as possible. With this planning, administration is discussing the location of the IC, and we are working collaboratively with teachers and students to obtain feedback,” she said.
“These discussions have remained just that — discussions about what is best for our students and how we can support them with all available resources to be successful.”
Journalism II Reporter Arabella Kielbasa contributed to this report.
A version of this article appears in print on pages 6-7 of Volume 96, Issue 4, published Feb. 28, 2026.
