AUGUSTA, GA – Though known primarily for being the first and only year-round school in the CSRA, C.H. Terrell Academy Principal Kimberly Baxter-Lee insists the school is much more than a novelty.

“The philosophy is: school is your job, your desk is your office and your grades are your pay,” she says.

That kind of approach may sound a little harsh given today’s nurturing climate, but Baxter-Lee says such an outlook is essential if students are going to grow up to be productive and prepared members of society.

“Today, I made my kids take the city bus,” she says. “My thinking is — they have to learn how to relate. Just because you’re private school, you’re not spoiled. You have to learn that just because your parents have a car, you may not.”

An independent, private Christian school, Terrell Academy was founded by Baxter-Lee’s mother, Rebecca Terrell Dent, nearly 30 years ago, and has always maintained a strict teacher-student ratio.

“When my mom founded the school, it was her goal to make sure it stayed small,” Baxter-Lee says. “Everyone who comes through here — I want to know who they are. I want to know them inside and out.”

At a time when public school classrooms are getting larger and larger, at Terrell, small really does mean small, with classes ranging from 8 to 12 students working in a combined classroom structure.

Those smaller class sizes mean teachers can spend more one-on-one time with the students, which helps foster the supportive atmosphere some of the students may have lacked at other schools.

“If we laugh,” Baxter-Lee says, “we laugh together. We have zero tolerance for anyone picking on anyone.”In addition to the individualized approach taken by the teachers, Terrell uses a unique, collective approach in the combined classrooms.

“Here, we do the African Village concept,” Baxter-Lee says. “They have to respect their elder, so their elder is to support them. They have to go to the elder, and if the elder can’t help, they go to an adult, and then we go back and work together as a team.”That spirit caused them to choose a tiger for their mascot.“Every tiger’s stripes are different,” she says, “and every kid who comes through is different.”

Overwhelmingly African-American, Terrell Academy’s students come almost entirely from the public schools. Often struggling, Baxter-Lee says they’re sometimes misdiagnosed with learning disabilities.

“They state that the students either have attention deficit disorder or are slightly below level. However, once we work with them and show them the correct study habits, they actually score on or above level,” she says.

The academically rigorous curriculum stresses an understanding of current events and has students as young as kindergarten learning a foreign language. Academics aren’t all Terrell offers, however. Starting in middle school, students are also required to donate 180 hours of community service every year.

“I don’t want them to walk around being all book smart and having no common sense,” Baxter-Lee says.

No matter what else the school has going on — and there’s a lot — the conversation always comes back to its calendar. As the only year-round school in the area, Terrell is the standard bearer for a concept many in the public school systems, including Dr. Dana Bedden in Richmond County, are starting to seriously consider. And having 12 years experience in year-round school, Baxter-Lee feels she’s earned the right to talk about it with a sense of authority.

“We love it,” she says. “I especially like it because I’ve never been one for summer vacations. The longer they’re out, the more they lose what we’ve already taught them.”

The advantages of year-round school extend beyond student achievement, however.“It’s actually beneficial for everyone,” she argues. “Parents can spend more time with their kids and teachers can increase their pay when they’re off.”

By getting a week and a half off every nine weeks, teachers are able to supplement their income by subbing in the public school systems.

The school, which is now occupying space across from the Julian Smith Casino on Broad Street, is looking for a home, something Baxter-Lee hopes will happen during her mother’s lifetime.

Until then, the 45 students at Terrell Academy will continue to help each other achieve in their current setting.