Hanna Academy has enrolled five students from outside the Sonoma Valley area in its new residential program and has received approximately 22 referrals for additional students to participate in it.
The program, which began Feb. 1, 2024, is designed to enable Hanna Academy to expand its scope by admitting students from areas of California that are too far away for them to be bused in and out of the school.
Typically, school districts and/or county offices of education provide the funding for students to attend nonpublic schools. Hanna Academy was certified as a nonpublic school by the California Department of Education in 2023 and fully credentialed by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
“Over the past six months, we have been getting the word out across the state so that school districts know that Hanna Academy is a California option,” said Courtney Jackson, principal of Hanna Academy. There are many residential programs for students like ours; however, most of them are out of state.
“School districts have been thrilled to learn of an option for their students in California.”
Jackson said Hanna Academy — which offers a specialized education, focused on teaching youth who have experienced trauma and are challenged with emotional disturbances or behavioral issues — has steadily received referrals since it launched the residential component.
