Hill House Passport Academy Charter School Celebrates Inaugural Year

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hill House Passport Academy Charter School (HHPACS), a new, tuition-free Pittsburgh public charter school, will open on August 25, 2014 to provide under-credited Pennsylvania students who are under 21 years of age with an accessible, individualized opportunity to finish their high school education. In partnership with the Hill House Association, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to delivering a spectrum of social services to Pittsburgh's Hill District community, HHPACS will offer an educational model that combines in-classroom instruction with independent online coursework, helping students work toward their high school diplomas.  The school community will host a grand opening event on Friday, August 8, 2014, from 3-7 p.m. at Hill House Kaufmann Center.

Modeled after a school in Chicago called Youth Connection Charter School (YCCS) Virtual High School, HHPACS is designed to help students who have faced hurdles that prevented them from graduating on time, including personal setbacks, family issues and relocation.

"The mission of Hill House Passport Academy Charter School is to help students overcome barriers and get on a path to success," said Cheryl Hall-Russell, president and CEO at Hill House Association and Hill House Economic Development Corporation. "Students will graduate from HHPACS with more than a high school diploma – they'll have a renewed sense of confidence that comes with having proven their ability to overcome setbacks."

Students who enroll at HHPACS will follow the extensive, award-winning online curriculum of core and elective courses from K¹² Inc. HHPACS provides all the materials necessary for a high-quality education – including textbooks, a personal computer onsite, and all of the materials necessary for offline work.  HHPACS students attend class five days a week on a schedule that includes three hours of in-classroom instruction per day with Pennsylvania-certified teachers, followed by two hours of independent, online instruction per day.

Quality instruction puts HHPACS students on a path to success, while support services, including career and academic counseling, mentoring, post-secondary transition planning and personal finance counseling, ensure that students graduate as well-rounded individuals ready for the next step.

Enrollment is still open for the 2014-2015 academic school year, and all interested families with children between the ages of 16-21 are encouraged to visit http://hhpa.k12.com/ for more information and details on upcoming community events and information sessions.

About Hill House Passport Academy Charter School
Hill House Passport Academy Charter School (HHPACS) is a tuition-free public charter school for under-credited students in Pennsylvania between the ages of 16-21. As part of the Pennsylvania public school system, HHPACS is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K¹² Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about HHPACS, visit http://hhpa.k12.com/.

SOURCE Hill House Passport Academy Charter School