Dear Friends,
I know we are all looking forward to finishing out the year of Covid and getting on with our lives in 2021, but I wanted to take a few minutes to share all the good things that happened in 2020 and to thank you for your continued support and friendship.
Believe it or not, GEO actually built a brand new high school in Baton Rouge and it was completed on time. We are grateful to Mayor Broome for joining us at the ribbon cutting ceremony. The new school, GEO Next Generation High School Baton Rouge has 25% of its students already taking college classes, too.
GEO opened a new high school in Indianapolis, too. GEO Next Generation High School Indianapolis opened with twice as many students
as two other new schools in Indianapolis combined and already has 35% of its students taking college level courses. We are grateful to State Representative Bob Behning, chair of the House Education Committee for joining us for the ribbon cutting.
GEO also found a new home for our own network headquarters in Indianapolis and were honored be able to buy the former Indiana Black Expo building on Meridian. We have enjoyed a great relationship with Black Expo for more than 20 years.
GEO celebrated an in-person graduation for our Gary students in May and we did it in style–at the drive in. It surely was a night to remember. Lots of cars honking as their students received their diplomas. The Class of 2020 was indeed special and we will miss them (I already do).
But we always look forward and today is no different. This morning, I was looking at our Class of 2021 in Gary and see that 71% of our graduates have already earned a full year of college and/or career credits, with six having earned a full associate degree, two having earned three years of college and one will have a full bachelor’s degree before graduating from our high school (our second student to accomplish this feat). All this success with Covid going on. Wow!
Our enrollment at all campuses is up, too. We now serve more than 3600 students in Indiana and Louisiana.
So, yes, I know 2020 has been tough in many ways but our team is built to handle tough times. In fact, when Covid shut down schools, we moved quickly to provide every student a laptop and an internet hot spot if needed. We had this in place back in March.
Our teachers and school leaders worked like champions not only serving up lessons but serving meals as well. We did door-to-door check ins with our families and were met at the doors with many grateful families and students.
I truly wish I could simply share the year in pictures. It was a great year in spite of Covid.
I think this is the kind of year when you show your true colors. Are you in this for families? Students? Do you have what it takes? And, the answer is that our entire team stepped up and showed how much they care about all of our students and families and one another.
I could go on and on about 2020 but will stop for now. Suffice it to say, it was a great year!
2021 will be even better!
All the best to you and your family. Have a safe holiday and Merry Christmas!
Sincerely,
Kevin Teasley
President
I’m leaving you with this picture of Raven. She graduated in 2017 from our Gary school and did so in style. When she was a freshman, she completed a full one year certification. By the time she completed her sophomore year, she completed her associate degree from Ivy Tech. And, she earned a full bachelor’s degree from Purdue BEFORE graduating from our high school in 2017. How about that? Sound crazy? Well, it is indeed out of the ordinary but that’s what we are all about–providing an extraordinary opportunity for students to succeed beyond their wildest dreams.