Yellow buses lined up in front of The Greater Dayton School last week as the sound of laughter filled the air. More than 100 students, donning their backpacks and bright smiles, waved goodbye to their parents, excited to meet their teachers and classmates.
For partner and founding principal A.J. Stich, the start of the 2023 academic year was remarkably different than last year, leaving him and our returning teachers in awe.
“This first day of school felt like where we were in November of last year. We’ve grown so much,” A.J. said.
The first-of-its-kind school exclusively for under-resourced kids opened its doors in 2022. Currently, it serves grades PreK – 4th and will grow to serve more than 500 students annually. This summer, A.J. and his team worked to elevate training. New teachers came to our Central Support Office and spent time one-on-one with founder and managing partner Larry Connor.
“Larry worked with our staff on leadership, how to manage people, accountability and setting high standards,” A.J. said. “Working with people who are experts in building culture, organization, leadership, and management brings a cool factor.
“It’s pretty unique to have that opportunity as a teacher to learn from an entrepreneur who’s been to the bottom of the ocean, outer space, and is the catalyst of this revolutionary educational model.”
WATCH: Greater Dayton School’s First Day of School
The Greater Dayton School was conceived and is funded by our non-profit arm, Kids & Community Partners. Because of the great work done by our associates at our properties, we’re able to give $1 to $1.5 million to our non-profit every time we sell a property.
Later this year, the students will move into a $60 million state-of-the-art permanent facility in Dayton.
“People are going to be blown away by the building. We get that. But, at the end of the day, we think this is the type of learning environment that ALL kids deserve,” said partner and director of Kids & Community Ryan Ernst. “The real difference isn’t going to be the building. It’s going to be the people inside the building that make our vision a reality.”
A.J. is equally excited about the new teachers, elevated coursework and wraparound services coming in the 2023 school year.
“Last year, we dabbled in financial literacy. This year, we went all in,” A.J. said. “Starting at age 4, students have 60 days per year where they take an hour-long financial literacy class. You’re teaching them about money, saving, investing. I’ve never heard of financial literacy in the public school system that young. It’s part of what makes us fundamentally different.
“We’ll also have 75% of doctors’ appointments on-site this year. It will alleviate bussing back and forth to doctors and vision appointments and be a game-changer for our kids.”
We look forward to seeing the students’ 2023 achievements, made possible by your hard work.