He saw a void in South Kitsap School District’s curriculum.

And earlier this year, South Kitsap alternative programs principal Pat Oster received permission from superintendent Dave LaRose to fill it.

Oster said he wanted to create a program to assist floundering students through the district’s Explorer Academy. Through that program, SKSD already assists students on alternative education paths. But Oster said the new program, called Hope Academy, which was created to work with at-risk students with a focus of transitoning them back into a traditional education environment.

He said the program was developed to get dropouts back into the classroom before they turn 21 years old and for others who are on long term suspension or have been expelled. Oster said the latter is becoming more of an issue at the district’s junior highs. For example, a 15-year-old John Sedgwick Junior High student was arrested March 22 for bringing a gun to school after a fellow student reported seeing him “brandish” it. The weapon, which former superintendent Dave LaRose said at the time was owned by a family member, was unloaded.

“We’ll have them do some risk assessment,” said Oster, referring to admitting a student. “Student safety is our No. 1 priority.”

Oster said the program is open for students struggling with personal issues in seventh through 12th grades. Unlike some of SKSD’s other non-traditional educational pathways, such as Discovery Alternative High School, Oster said Hope Academy is designed to assist students with short-term issues. Among the 29 students who were enrolled in the program during the spring, Oster said more than half of them will return to a regular classroom setting this fall.

“We want to focus on getting them back on track,” he said. “It’s not a permanent placement. It’s a place where we help get you back together.”

Hope Academy, which is instructed by Lora-Jean Piper, runs similar to SKSD’s online program through Advanced Academics.

In 2010, Explorer Academy teacher Stephanie Combs said students in ninth through 12th grade now have access to teachers at any hour through Advanced Academics. Washington’s Advanced Academics program is based out of Yakima, while the main office is in Oklahoma City. Through the latter office, Combs said students have one to two teachers available in each subject throughout the night.