Several things really hit home for second-year principal Matt Barton at Zion Chapel’s graduation ceremonies in late May. The first realization was just how rare a true community school is becoming.
“We’re one of the remaining few,” Barton says. “A lot of kindergarten through 12th grade schools have branched apart with a separate elementary campus and principal.”
The Jack community is practically synonymous with the school.
“Everything revolves around the school. If there’s an event, whether it be athletically or robotics club, you name it, we have tremendous parent and community support,” Barton says.
The other thing Barton reflected on is that many of the seniors who graduated started kindergarten 13 years ago on the same campus.
“Very few schools have that opportunity for a teacher to see that child through,” he says. “It’s just a very close-knit, very proud school that’s more like a family than anything.”
That senior class proudly upheld the school’s outstanding academic reputation. In a class of 63 graduates, 10 students earned full academic scholarships to four-year colleges and universities.
Zion Chapel has a young bass fishing program and a cross-country team, both unusual for Class 2A public schools. Barton cites outstanding parental involvement for bolstering those programs for students.
New LED lights were installed on the football field last year, and they made a big difference, the principal said. The extracurricular opportunities add to the student experience, but Barton says academics come first.
“We have fantastic teachers here. I would put our teachers here against anywhere I’ve ever been,” the Geneva native says. “I think part of that is the community aspect of it. They know the kids, they know the parents, they know the grandparents.”
Barton says the school values its relationships and partnerships with companies like South Alabama Electric Cooperative.
“Any time there’s been an issue, they’ll send somebody out immediately. Or if they can’t, they’ll talk us through it,” he says. “They’ve been a great company to work with. The football stadium lights are very impressive.”
Barton says it just reinforces the community buy-in the school enjoys.
“Parent involvement here is tremendous. We never have to beg anybody to help,” he says. “It’s a great community, and they’re very invested in the school and really care about it. It’s just a pleasure to work here with great people.”