MOUNT VERNON – As director of the Knox Learning Center, Joe Mazarri knows that compassion and understanding are as important as discipline and academics.
His students have learning challenges that range from emotional stresses which can erupt into disruptive behavior to the daily trauma of insecure home circumstances. Some have specific disabilities.
His greeting to new students – referred to the Learning Center by their home districts – never changes: “We don’t care why you’re here. You’re here and we’re going to help you.”
Learning Center strategies are paying off. Last spring 11 high school students there earned sufficient credits for graduation and received diplomas from their home districts. Several of their parents expressed their thanks to Mazzari in person for the positive changes in their children’s lives.
Located in the former Mount Vernon West Elementary building, the Learning Center continues the mission of the alternative education center established by Juvenile Court Judge James Ronk in the early 1990s. It serves students in grades 1 through 12 who, for one reason or another, have difficulty succeeding in a typical school environment.
The Learning Center is operated by the Knox Educational Service Center (ESC).
“Many of our students have been evaluated and identified with emotional disabilities,” said ESC Superintendent Dr. Timm Mackley. “An emotional disability is more than a simple ‘behavior problem.’ Our students are occasionally overwhelmed by their emotions and don’t know what to do when that happens.
“Some of our older students come to us for credit recovery. Their courses are self-paced, allowing them to move quickly if that’s what they want to do.
“The length of time at the Learning Center varies according to the student’s personal circumstances, but many are with us for several consecutive years.”
When Ronk created the alternative center three decades ago his primary motivation was to avoid rewarding negative behavior. Students suspended for disruptive behavior were wandering around town. Ronk required them to continue their education under supervision at the alternative center. It was housed in the former Mount Vernon City Schools administration building on Chestnut Street, now the location of Knox County VA and the board of elections.
In 2005 students left the West Elementary building when Twin Oak Elementary opened. Moving the alternative school to West Elementary allowed much more room for the program. After Mackley became ESC superintendent in 2010, the name was changed to The Learning Center to emphasize students’ academic pursuits.
Constructed in 1915 the West Elementary building wasn’t in the best of shape but significant physical improvements have been made over the years.
“We are indebted to many kind and compassionate people in Knox County who have ensured that our 110-year-old facility is a happy and healthy place to learn,” Mackley said.
Mazzari knows full well the difficult circumstances some children face. He worked with Judge Ronk for 21 years, advancing from a part-time probation roll to director of probation.
“I believe it is important to the students we serve that they know we care,” said Mazzari, director since 2020. “Some students that attend here had to learn very early in life, very quickly, that the person in front of them is a good person, a safe person, or someone they can trust. You cannot fake that with them. You must be patient and consistent.”
The Learning Center, which has an enrollment of approximately 60 in grades one through 12, serves all five Knox County school districts, the career center, Clear Fork, North Fork, Canrdington, Mount Gilead, Highland, Granville and Lexington. Previously, the center has had students from Ontario, Buckeye Valley, Warsaw (Riverview) and Columbus City Schools.
Mazzari said the success of the Learning Center is the product of its teachers and support staff. Mackley agreed.
“I am very proud of the Learning Center staff,” Mackley said. “They understand what our students need to be successful and they work very hard to maintain a welcoming and compassionate attitude, even when circumstances are stressful.”
Last spring parents Amber and Ryan Towney wrote a letter thanking counselor Liza Mazzari “for being our advocate from Day 1” as their son transferred to the Learning Center. They wrote that at the Learning Center, their son “felt he was appreciated here for who he really is. The teachers willingly dealt with things that others wouldn’t. It changed his outlook. He graduated a year early with a positive attitude.”
Christina McGlaughlan also had high praise for the Learning Center, explaining that her son completed two years in one to graduate last spring.
“He had a great experience here,” she said. “What he got here was structure and safety. People here were genuinely concerned about him, not what happened that caused him to be here.”
Kayla Will, parent of a fifth-grader, said her son had made much progress since arriving as a third-grader.
“He had a lot of explosive behavior at first but the Learning Center really saved him,” she said. “When he had a bad day Joe and others came together for him. When he had a behavioral issue here the teacher called to let me know but added that he would start fresh in the morning. He’s calm when he walks in here now. It’s like walking into home. It’s personal, very individualized.”
Rochele Ark said her grandson was able to graduate in the spring, a year early.
“He came here in the sixth or seventh grade. He wasn’t always nice,” she said. “The first couple of years were rough but the teachers became like family. He never liked school but he excelled here. Joe and the others were very patient with him, letting him learn at his own pace.
“When he broke his leg playing basketball, the Learning Center went way above and beyond to accommodate him. It really made a difference. They made him feel he was successful. Now he is comfortable within himself. He had a goal: finish a year early. And he did it.”