Delaware Valley High: Alternative ed since 1969
ALTHOUGH it is a for-profit private school, Delaware Valley High School is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as an alternative-education private provider, funded by tax dollars and equipped for students with motivational or behavioral problems who have been discharged from traditional schools.
ALTHOUGH it is a for-profit private school, Delaware Valley High School is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as an alternative-education private provider, funded by tax dollars and equipped for students with motivational or behavioral problems who have been discharged from traditional schools.
DVHS was founded in 1969 as a private school for troubled kids. Its president, Philadelphia attorney David T. Shulick, took over in 1999, when state law was changed to allow school districts to contract with private companies to take in students with disciplinary problems.
In 2002, DVHS got its first contract with a school district, enrolling students from Bristol at a location in the Far Northeast.
According to the Inquirer, DVHS won its first Philadelphia contract in the 2003-2004 school year for only 77 students out of the nearly 5,000 students sent to alternative schools.
It now operates four schools in the region, including one campus in Southwest Philadelphia and another in East Falls.
DVHS now has a $4.1 million contract with the Philadelphia district, enrolling 600 students.
- Valerie Russ