Traverse City Area Public Schools is closing their two International Baccalaureate elementary schools –Interlochen Community School and International School at Bertha Vos. They're relocating IB to Traverse Heights Elementary School next year.
TCAPS has promoted the IB program as an innovative teaching program with a proven success rate. Statewide the Kellogg Foundation has been funding the creation of these programs in schools throughout northern Michigan. And school officials say the program is very successful with students from economically disadvantaged households.
But as TCAPS switches where it houses its IB programs in elementary school, few current IB students are continuing that education. So far, 18 Bertha Vos students are continuing their IB education at Traverse Heights next year. TCAPS officials were not aware of any students from Interlochen following IB to Traverse Heights. But kids can enroll up to the day kids start next fall.
Katie Bonne, the current principal at Bertha Vos and future IB coordinator for Traverse Heights, says eighteen is a good number considering other factors. They have to consider family support and whether they can get a bus to school.
"So all of those different pieces play into a family’s decision on where to go to school," says Bonne.
Christine Guitar, the director of marketing and communications for TCAPS, says the situation is similar for students at Interlochen Community School.
"I think what we see at Interlochen –which is not unexpected– is about 99 percent of those kids that went to Interlochen Community School opted for transportation," says Guitar, "and so that means that they're going to go to the school that offers a bus."
Guitar says even if current IB students don’t continue with the program, IB will be a great asset to Traverse Heights students. She says the program has been proven to help at-risk students.
Traverse Heights is hoping to eventually become an accredited IB school.
