Daytona Beach school has served pregnant and parenting teenagers for 20 years

Daytona Beach school has served pregnant and parenting teenagers for 20 years

'A community of support'

By Danielle Johnson
Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY NETWORK

Monday, October 31, 2022

In a quiet, dimly lit classroom on the second floor of the historic Bonner Elementary School in Daytona Beach, a dozen young women who attend The Chiles Academy sit in a circle with Rochelle Hipp, their parenting teacher, and Abby Ferguson, their principal, beside them. The girls, who can range from grades six through 12, talk about what's happening in their lives, what emotions they're experiencing, times they've been proud of themselves. Ferguson and Hipp share details about their lives, too, and the ladies all snap when something resonates with them.

See SCHOOL, Page 6A

Top: Jennifer Ingianni, 20, holds her son, Kayden O'Brien, at The Chiles Academy in Daytona Beach. The public charter school aids pregnant and parenting teens who complete their graduation requirements while learning about parenting.

x Chiles Academy offers an array of services. PHOTOS BY NIGEL COOK/NEWS-JOURNAL

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Downstairs, the conversation is a little less serious: The girls' children are awaiting a lunch of spaghetti and broccoli and arguing over who is hungrier.

A public charter school within Volusia County Schools that recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, The Chiles Academy offers a safe space for pregnant and parenting Volusia high schoolers to not only complete their diplomas rather than drop out, but also to learn to care for their children.

“It helps you feel like an adult, like you're not just some kid who had a kid, which a lot of people can put you out as,” 17-year-old Cassandra Aguirre said of the school.

Aguirre dropped out of Mainland High School when she became pregnant with her daughter, Luna Rose Kenton, who is now 10 months old.

She had heard about The Chiles Academy through a doctor and eventually decided to enroll this year as a sophomore. With a second child on the way, she says they will attend the school's day care program as well.

“It's the best school ever,” she said, noting she can learn without other high schoolers disrupting class and without having to stress out about child care.

The Chiles Academy has helped parenting teens for 20 years

The Chiles Academy, named after former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, evolved into a charter school in July 2002 after Volusia County Schools decided to close Teen Parent East, a program where pregnant students could come to learn and return to their zoned school.

Ferguson's mother, Anne Ferguson, along with Tammy Jones and Janet Bordenave, co-founded the charter school, where parenting students can stay until they finish high school. It started in portables at Atlantic High School before moving to the Bonner Elementary site in 2008.

Ferguson, who is in her fourth year as principal, says they have about 115 students and their children enrolled right now, but around 250 are historically served in any given year. The school also offers community child care, so there are many more kids who attend day care and voluntary prekindergarten on campus.

For the pregnant and parenting students, the school offers regular in-person and online classes such as math, English and history, but students also partake in parenting classes of different levels depending on whether the student is pregnant or the age of their child.

Students learn about parenting alongside regular classes

Aguirre says she loves the parenting classes, which teach her about mental health, parenting skills and child illnesses, among other things. Students also get hands-on time in the nurseries.

Students also participate in a parenting circle, which offers a safe environment for the girls and a way to “hold space” for each other.

“It helps a lot,” Aguirre said. “It really does help you to get to know each other, let some stuff out that you've been holding in.”

Jennifer Ingianni, a 20-year-old mother attending The Chiles Academy, agrees that it's a healthy space for the students.

“I don't have parents or anything, so I don't have that time to open up to anybody or express my feelings to anybody or say, 'This is what I did at school,' or 'This is what I'm proud of,' ” she said. “That gives you that time where you really truly say how you feel.”

Ingianni says her family dynamics class is also helping her understand feelings, learn about herself and experience the emotions you can't always feel when you're in “mom stage.”

While people can perceive young moms negatively, Ferguson says they try to reduce the stigma and encourage the girls to prepare for the future rather than dwell on past decisions.

“My philosophy is that every parent deserves to experience both the joys and the stress of parenthood,” she said. “So I try to make sure that we're always in a practice of asking how the joys of parenthood are affecting them, not only the burden.”

Preventing dropouts by offering 'community of support'

Beyond traditional and parenting classes, The Chiles Academy offers a full array of services designed for expecting or current moms.

“The mission is really to combine what we call a community of support,” Ferguson said, noting the school has counselors and certified teachers like a regular high school. “Then we provide support systems for all of the areas of their lives that are impacted by the pregnancy and by their status as parents.”

This may mean helping them gather resources for the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) nutrition program or providing access to other state and federal programs, for example.

All of the students have access to free breakfast and lunch, too, and time is set aside on Fridays for on-campus counseling to meet their needs. Staff can help with handling insurance and scheduling doctor's appointments, for example.

“My passion is making sure that any parenting student that needs any sort of support through their journey has an opportunity to come here because we're uniquely suited to address every need that comes with young parents trying to finish their high school education,” Ferguson said.

While parenting students are a difficult population to collect data on, Ferguson says only around half of teen parents will receive a diploma and that students usually lose at least a year of school per child, so The Chiles Academy is working to prevent dropouts in Volusia County.

She says separate schools for parenting students with site-based child care are fairly unique, as many districts offer online parenting classes and child care vouchers instead of a full brick-andmor tar school. Students also receive other benefits by attending the school. For example, they can get Votran passes or gas cards to help with transportation, and they can earn school-based currency to spend on gently used clothing for themselves and their children, diapers, toiletries and other items that the community donates.

The currency can be earned for attendance, keeping appointments, being on time, positive behavior, honor roll and other achievements.

Students and administrators say The Chiles Academy has become its own community, too. There is a student government, for example, and community meetings where they recently planned a wellness week and Thanksgiving potluck. The school also recently hosted a successful homecoming carnival for the students and general public.

Creating community and preparing moms for the future

Ingianni dropped out of high school but started working toward graduation again this year with The Chiles Academy, which she said gave her a warm welcome. She is thankful for gas cards to help with her 45-minute drive to transport herself and her 18-month-old son, Kayden O'Brien, to school.

“It was a really good thing for both of us,” she said, noting she would probably never be getting her diploma in December if it hadn't been for the school and the on-site child care.

“It's a miracle, really, and he loves it,” she said. “I could see him learning so much more. He is excited to go to class in the morning.”

Ingianni says the school has definitely created a sense of community and helped her make friends, too. Aguirre also noted the students can relate to each other and not feel alone like they might at other high schools.

Ingianni attributes The Chiles Academy “100%” for her acceptance into Daytona State College, where she'll study cosmetology starting in January. The school helped her with the application process and will also walk her through financial aid.

“The front office they help as much as they can with anything you need, like food stamps, Medicaid, home services, anything like that,” Aguirre agreed. “If you're going through something, they will help you with it.”

Ferguson says they open doors that a pregnant 16-year-old, for example, just can't do on their own sometimes. Last year, the school also gave out $10,000 in scholarships.

She was drawn into the work from a young age “rocking babies as a student volunteer” in high school while her mom was the child care director for Teen Parent East.

“It's always just had a place in my heart because of the focus on advocacy and the firm belief that every student deserves a path to graduation,” Ferguson said. “I come to work every day determined to create more and more opportunities for students who may feel like they might be out of options.”

As further commitment to the students and the community, Ferguson announced that The Chiles Academy also purchased the Bonner Elementary building outright from the school district earlier this year with the help of a $200,000 donation from the Hunter Foundation, which will secure the school's location in Daytona Beach and Volusia County for years to come.

Learn more at thechilesacademy.com or on Facebook.

Contact reporter Danielle Johnson at djohnson@gannett.com.

Chiles Academy recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. PHOTOS BY NIGEL COOK/NEWS-JOURNAL

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