Frequently Asked Questions

No, no, and no.

None of the above.

The Ohio Department of Education does NOT recognize us as an official "educational institution" or "alternative school."

We are a private business. 

We contract with school districts to provide special education services on their behalf when they are not able to be provided in-district, either due to capacity issues OR all services have been exhausted OR a student simply requires a more restrictive setting due to the intensity of one's immediate needs. 

Students can ONLY be placed in our program by their school district-of-residence, typically via their Special Education/Pupil Services Director (or related). The majority of our students have Individual Education Plans (IEP's). We do accept non-IEP students, too, but their referrals come from school principals, guidance counselors, or psychologists.

Parents CANNOT make personal referrals for their child(ren), due to the school district being responsible for all the costs & financial obligations of placement.

The school district-of-residence is responsible for transporting students to and from Impact Academy, unless other arrangements have been made.

Students may arrive in buses, vans, cabs, cars, helicopters, and licensed alien spacecraft; but NO bicycles, skateboards, motorized bikes, etc. are allowed as student transportation.
Students are also NOT allowed to drive themselves or any other students to or from Impact Academy, even if they have an OH Driver's License. (Sorry!)

Since we are in the "backyard" of Plain Local Schools, we are closed whenever PLS calls off for inclement weather. 

If a student's school district calls off school, but Plain Local Schools remains open during bad weather, students are encouraged to find a way to still attend Impact that day; however, they will receive an Excused Absence if they are not able to make it in.

If Plain Local Schools calls off, but a student's school district remains open, the student does NOT have to attend Impact that day.

Yes, but since we serve 15-20 different school districts at any given time, it is difficult to create an Impact Calendar aligned perfectly with every school district calendar. Whether it's the start of the school year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Spring Breaks, or the end of the year, our calendars WILL differ.

When Impact Academy is closed, students have the day off from school, even if a student's school district is open. When Impact is scheduled to be open, students are to attend Impact, even if their district is closed.

Go to the FORMS Page to download your own copy of the Impact Calendar

Yes, BOTH!

Included in the placement costs we pass on to school districts, we provide supplementary food items, as allowed per Canton/Akron City Health Department License standards, for BOTH breakfast and lunch breaks offered to ALL students. For breakfast, we typically have packaged breakfast food items available. For lunch, we provide a packaged entrée item, a fruit, a vegetable, a snack, and drink options, in accordance with minimal state guidelines.

Students may also bring in their own breakfast/lunch items to store in their classroom. Microwaves and refrigerators are available for student usage.