Hillsdale Prep puts 'joy back into education'
Charter school offers tuition-free education to local children, volunteer opportunities for college students
Cody Ewers
Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: Features
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One student looks confused for a moment, and then shoots his hand in the air and blurts out, "You can't have crustulum without lacteus!"
The class snickers at the reference to milk and cookies.
Rowan smiles with pride as his youngest students begin to show signs that even they can learn and retain Latin.
Although Hillsdale Prep students learn Latin in kindergarten, the school is a public charter school with a curriculum similar to that of Hillsdale Academy - only it's free of charge.
Rowan said the school offers an affordable version of a small private school. Hillsdale Prep's classical curriculum centers itself on Hillsdale College's internationally acclaimed Hillsdale Academy Reference Guide with the exception of the curriculum's religious element.
Three years ago, Hillsdale Prep, located at 160 West Mechanic Rd., existed as Sauk Trail Academy. Rowan said the school was quickly sinking and had a grim future.
He attributed its turnaround to Hillsdale's Board of Education President Dr. Jeff Horton, who saved the school's charter by adopting the Hillsdale Academy Reference Guide and mirroring its curriculum. Since then the school's enrollment has doubled and continues to grow, Rowan said.
A Hillsdale College alumnus, Rowan '04 is a retired Navy officer, who exchanged education for experience when he joined the Navy before graduating from high school.
After retiring, he and his wife left their home in California for Hillsdale, so Rowan could finish his once-abandoned degree. At Hillsdale College Rowan acquired a love of education that he passes on to his students today.
"We are trying to put the joy back into education, like Hillsdale College did for me," Rowan said. "It didn't just teach me; it made me want to pursue education, and I want to impart that on all students who come here."
Rowan said Hillsdale Prep tries to match, "book for book," the spirit of Hillsdale Academy's curriculum. Rowan also said his school's congenial relationship with Hillsdale College is vital in continuing its dedication to classical education, because of the help Hillsdale Prep receives from the college's volunteer programs.
Rowan said he especially appreciates Hillsdale's classics department because its members not only teach Latin to the students, they also bring the necessary books required for the school to continue its Latin program.
Hillsdale College junior Anna Johnson, who volunteers teaching Latin at the school, said the experience is personally rewarding and worthwhile.
"I love it," Johnson said. "It's such an awesome opportunity to teach on a volunteer basis with no pressure, such great rewards of friendship with my students, and of invaluable teaching experience."
Johnson said she hopes her impression on the students will be a positive one for years to come.
"I can only hope that my enthusiasm sparks an interest in them, so that they will pursue it on their own accord in their later years," Johnson said.
Ginger Russell, who has taught third and fourth grades at Hillsdale Prep for five years, said she notices a great change since the school's transformation from Sauk Trail.
"There is a big change in the students' attitudes and study habits," Russell said. "They are now always adding to the lesson and continually investigating. This makes teaching more enjoyable because the students actually want to learn in depth."
The school's Parent Council Chairwoman Jennifer Tharp said she loves the school and does all she can to support it.
After moving to Hillsdale, she and her husband decided to send their kids to Hillsdale Prep because they could not get all their children into private schools in the area such as Hillsdale Academy or Will Carleton Academy, and did not want to send them to public schools.
"We really liked the fact that they provide a quality education without an expensive tuition," Tharp said. "It's the best of both worlds."
Tharp also said she is pleased with Rowan's job as headmaster.
"Jim does an excellent job of being a buffer between [the parent council] and management, but, more importantly, he's really committed to the kids," she said. "It's a great feeling, as a parent, [to know] that he's involved and cares about them."
Hillsdale College Collegian 2008
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