Page 6 - Ben Bronz Academy

A Message from the Chief Operating Officer
When I met with our accountant in August to review the financials from the past school year he praised us for our ongoing strong fiscal health. But our accountant doesn’t review the numbers that truly define the mission of Ben Bronz Academy.
When Aileen Stan-Spence and
Ian Spence hired me in 2000, they
made it clear that it is our students
and families who define our success. Whether that success is measured against the small beginnings of around 10 students in 1985, or a full enrollment of more than 60 students this past school year, our students and families are the bottom line.
In June, we honored five Ben Bronz graduates and many more students that were prepared to return to their home districts and schools of their choice. They joined hundreds before them who came to BBA struggling below grade level to learn how they learned, develop the skills to succeed, and leave BBA at or ahead of their peers academically.
Ben Bronz Academy has grown considerably from when Aileen and Ian founded the school. Thanks to the support of our partner school districts, grants and donations, we continue to scale the program that they set in motion almost 40 years ago.
In the past two years, we have:
This school year is also the first time BBA has a true school library and STEM center with our very own Library Media Specialist. I am grateful to our Board of Directors who organized our ‘Lace Up For The Library’ walk on April 30, 2023. Over $30,000 was raised for our new library and STEM center. I am most proud of the more than 180 walkers
and volunteers who participated on the
damp early spring day because of their belief in the success of our students.
Another leap forward for BBA this past year was completing the energy efficiency work, partly funded by the Neighborhood Assistance Act grant program, to replace the facility’s boiler that has long been running on borrowed time. And we took advantage of the rising interest rates in 2022, which garnered over $20,000 in investment income that is being used to stock the school library’s shelves.
Annual visits to the accountant to discuss strong financial positions are one thing, but it is what I see daily from our students that adds up to BBA’s success. I would like to thank our staff, mediators, alumni, Board members, families and most of all our students. I am inspired every day by their hard work and dedication.
Jason Devin, Chief Operating Officer
• Hired a School Psychologist, Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist
• Added Cyndi Fries as our Assistant Director of Education
• Brought on reading and math specialists to target our students’ learning and accelerate their progress
• Hired a PPT Coordinator
• Launched a music program in 2022-23 and
hired a full-time art teacher for the 2023-24 school year
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