Communication at the center of community concerns at NDS

New Dimensions Charter School is trying to rebuild trust after a turbulent spring, and parents and community partners are making it clear that communication is their biggest concern.

The June 25 board meeting opened with Heather Hollifield, the school’s new interim director, introducing herself to parents that hadn’t attended the meet-and-greets earlier in the week.

Immediately following her introduction, she invited Heather Powell, from the YMCA, to speak to the board.

Powell began the speech thanking the board for its continued partnership but soon turned the discussion toward a diminished relationship strained by insufficient communication.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

“Over the past two years, we’ve noticed that the partnership has become a little more difficult,” Powell said, explaining that the YMCA’s involvement in the school previously led to one of its largest programs in the county, but that it felt it was the last to know when changes were made.

“I don’t believe that’s because of one particular issue, rather, I believe we’ve gradually lost some of the collaboration that made this partnership so successful in the beginning. Communication has become less proactive and opportunities to plan together have become less frequent.”

Although the YMCA plans to continue the partnership, Powell noted a decline from the annual average enrollment of 76 students to 56 during the 2024-25 school year, and down to 51 students last school year.

“We believe in the school,” Powell said. “We believe in your leadership, your teachers, your families, and most importantly, your students. We want to continue investing our time, our resources, and our energy into a building and a program that reflects the excellence of both of our organizations. Today, we’re simply asking for a renewed commitment to the partnership.”

PARENT CONCERNS

Several parents followed Powell in the public comments portion of the meeting, mostly echoing the YMCA’s request for transparency and communication.

One parent said, “I do appreciate the very recent increase in transparency that we have seen. That was needed. I am concerned, and time will tell, if that is just a knee-jerk reaction to the very public outcry on social media or if it will continue.”

Another parent, Greg Catterton, also requested transparency regarding the board’s decision to remove the school’s uniform requirement in late March.

“I loved the uniforms, as a parent,” Catterton told the board, explaining that he and other parents wanted to see the policy reinstated. “I would like some transparency into why the (policy) decision was made (and) who made the decision — if it was a team decision or if it was unilaterally made.”

While the board has a practice in place of not responding to public comments at the moment, it did direct all parents and faculty to the frequently asked questions section of its website, where the board composes answers to questions presented at its meetings.

NEW LEADERSHIP

Following the meeting, former secretary to the board and newly appointed Chair Isaac Crouch insisted that the board intended to keep the positive momentum.

“Last night’s meeting showed that we have a lot of positive energy,” Crouch said. “There’s a spirit of collaboration and communication that is maybe better than it’s ever been. I’m excited to do whatever I can to help keep the gas in that tank and help to find a solid director to come in and do the best they can and take our school to the next level.”

Crouch explained that while the board would continue to listen to any and all feedback on the uniform controversy, the problem stemmed from enforcement, and the board prioritized the education of its students over the distraction of teachers monitoring uniform shortcomings.

“Where I personally came around is we need to listen to our teachers and listen to our staff when making any decision, really,” Crouch said. “If they’re telling us this is a problem or this is something they’re not able to effectively deal with … then we want to listen to that and act on it.”

“We’re not in the building every day,” he continued. “We’ll continue to listen to our staff, our teachers, and of course, parents as well. It can be a continuing conversation, but as of now, no, there are no plans to change it.”