Heather Tomer wanted to enroll her son, Brodey, in a pre-K program but quickly came upon a troubling fact.
“The price in this area is just too expensive,” she said.
Tomer and her family had recently moved to Lower Paxton Township. While browsing Facebook for free, kid-friendly events, she came across an ad that intrigued her. It was for a school called the New City School in Harrisburg. So, she visited the website and discovered its free pre-K program. She immediately applied, and Brodey was enrolled a week later.
The New City School is an independent Christian school located at Second City Church on Verbeke Street in Midtown. Pre-K classes began in September and operate every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning. The classroom size is kept small (13 students are enrolled), with one head teacher, one assistant teacher and one or more volunteer aides.
Tomer is hardly alone in her need for affordable pre-K education.
The United Way of the Capital Region’s “2014 Life in the Capital Region” report shows that three quarters of 3- and 4-year olds in the Harrisburg area do not have access to high quality pre-K, and, for those that do, the price is often prohibitive.
Ready to Learn
The New City School uses the classical approach to teaching, which stretches back to ancient Greece and stresses public speaking, reasoning, writing and logic. The school’s promotional brochure adds to that, saying it “coincides with students’ developmental stages, building on the foundation of grammar, and focusing on logic, critical thinking and effective oral and written communication.”
“The curriculum hits all the senses every day and is play-based,” said Liz Barna, the school’s head teacher.
Students, she said, are exposed to counting, letters, art, music and life skills.
“This year is getting them ready to learn and teaching them that learning is fun,” she said.
Barna is a member of Second City Church and long-time art teacher. Through her involvement with the church, she learned of the school’s unique model and wanted to get involved.
“We hope to create kids who think well and can appreciate beauty and trust and love learning,” she said. “We want them to benefit their community and take it home to their family.”
High Hopes
School administrators and board members had hoped to open the New City School a few years ago. However, the project was put on hold until the arrival of Andy Phillips. Phillips is a former pastor with a background in elementary education and social work. Now, he acts as executive director, head administrator, classroom assistant and even janitor for the school.
“I wear a lot of hats,” he said.
Phillips got involved with the New City School through his involvement with Lagos Academy, a school in York County on which this school is based. He recognized the lack of affordable pre-K programs in the Harrisburg area and the long waiting list for the Head Start program.
“I felt I had to do this,” he said. “I want to be part of addressing education in the city.”
Barna echoed those sentiments.
“We don’t want to be seen as a competitor,” she said. “We want to build on what’s already here and become part of the broader educational community.”
The New City School does not require that all its students come from lower-income households, though most do. In addition, most live in Harrisburg, though that’s also not a requirement.
Saidah Palmer lives in the city with her son, Elijah, who began attending the school in September.
“He seemed comfortable from day one,” said Palmer. “He really, really likes Mr. Andy.”
She discovered the New City School through word of mouth and Facebook posts. Initially, she was looking at other area pre-K programs, but the cost of private school was a factor.
“I have so much faith in what they do that I’m helping them look for funding so they can continue with their work,” she said.
According to Phillips, the total cost to operate the pre-kindergarten and lay the groundwork for next year is $65,000. They have raised about one-third of that amount to date. In addition to monetary donations, the school is always looking for breakfast and snack donations, as well as school supplies and in-classroom volunteers.
Phillips and the school’s other board members have high hopes for the future. They have a vision of expanding the school to a second pre-K program in 2017 and adding one grade level per year until they reach the 8th grade.
At that point, the school will begin charging tuition on a rolling scale based on income, he said.
“I would love to have a school of 150 to 180 students, with a great mix of kids from the whole spectrum of incomes, cultures and backgrounds,” Phillips said. “That diversity breaks down a lot of walls and creates a rich learning environment. And it goes a long way toward reconciliation and building respect.”
For more information about New City School, visit www.newcityschoolharrisburg.org or email andy.phillips@newcityschoolharrisburg.org.
Author: Jessica Sprajcar
