Selma City Schools is currently leading an expansion of the Phoenix Alternative Program. 

The Selma City School Board discussed at its Tuesday board meeting plans to expand the districts’ alternative program, located on Plant Street in east Selma. The school may be renamed Hope Academy, acting Selma superintendent of education Larry DiChiara said.

With some help from district judge Bob Armstrong, the program will include additional incentives to motivate the students to do better behaviorally.

“To have his resources, I thought there was no downside to it,” DiChiara said. “We just have to do the leg work, which is trying to meet, talk and plan. It’s worth the effort, because the kids are going to be the ones to benefit from it.”

Students will have a chance to enter recreational activities, arts, career counseling and more by earning points based on performance in the program.

According to the board, Armstrong made previous attempts to kick off the program.

”It’s just that no one grabbed the ball and ran with it,” DiChiara said. “When the state intervention team came in, I met him and I saw his passion. I love the idea of providing a one-stop shop so we could treat the students who needed treatment in a lot of ways and try to help them from different directions.”

Windows have been repaired, blinds have been replaced, painting has been done, new lighting has been installed and much more.

Since the building was partially used as a storage building, large furniture was removed and disposed.

“It really looks like a new place,” DiChiara said. “We still have a long way to go, but people who have seen before and after are amazed by the way it looks.”

A set completion date for the transformation hasn’t been set, according to DiChiara.

At the end of the meeting, Hicks requested the board reach out to Phoenix Alternative Program administrator Michael Bowers and Armstrong to attend the works session to discuss the details, which it agreed to do.

The next work session is scheduled for Sept. 4 at the Selma High Library, starting at 5:30 p.m.