MAYFIELD, Pa. — Janice Gallagher had a lot to say about why she and her classmates are excited to go to school at the all-new Graham Academy in Mayfield.
"It was fun," said student Connor Jacukowicz. "I got to hold the scissors and cut it."
The new facility is one of three locations across Luzerne and Lackawanna counties which specializes in educating children with autism and emotional challenges.
"So as the Lackawanna County students grew within our programs in Luzerne and Kingston, it was really beneficial for us to limit their transportation time and find a location that was closer to home and safer for the students to attend," said Regional Director Carol McGrane.
"We had this vision for a very long time to expand into this area," said Program Director Bob Steinberger.
McGrane and Steinberger say the new K through 12 schools will feature individually tailored learning experiences to address each student's needs.
"It's been an amazing experience for us to see how uh they value our, the Children that, that are part, participate in our community," said Steinberger.
The newest edition of Graham Academy in Mayfield already has 63 students enrolled, and administrators tell us they hope that the numbers will grow by a lot more.
"We've been getting a lot of calls," said Steinberger. "This community has been so welcoming."
And just like school administrators, the academy's newest students are ready to get started.
"My favorite part of the school is everything, math, reading, gym, and playing outside and lunch and art," said student Elias Chache.