A new arts-focused charter high school is in the works in Trevose
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
Simone Graves may be a rising seventh-grader at Bristol’s Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School, but she’s already got her professional career mapped out.
Clutching a handful of drawings that far exceeded the artistic skill level of most middle schoolers, Graves confidently spoke from the heart to an intimate group of strangers gathered in the lobby of TruMark Financial in Trevose, her mother and siblings beaming with pride close by.
“I’ve had a love for art since I was 6,” she said, sharing how she was honing her skills in mixed media, digital tools and more at Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia by the age of 9.
Over the years, that passion for art has only grown stronger. Now, with Graves preparing to enter the latter part of her middle school education, she and her family have been searching for a quality, yet affordable, high school that will support her creative journey.
The answer came recently in the form of TLC Bucks Arts Charter High School, which is slated to open at 1000 Northbrook Drive (where TruMark is currently housed) for the 2019–2020 academic year. Graves, one of several local students to express early interest, spoke on Tuesday, Aug. 21, during the school’s first preview tour, which was open to community members and the press.
The event was hosted by Dr. Thomas S. Lubben, founder and CEO of TLC Arts, who boasts more than 50 years experience in education. TLC Arts, a nonprofit formed in 2003, currently has four established charter schools in areas such as Bethlehem and Salisbury. After two years searching for a location to open a fifth, Lubben is certain Bucks County and its soon-to-be former TruMark space are the perfect fit.
“We have been fortunate to find a building that totally meets our needs,” Lubben said. “This beautiful building will provide us with 10–12 artistic studios and 12–14 academic classrooms, in addition to offices, a commons area, and a performance space.”
Though final approvals of the school are still pending and won’t be finalized until January 2019, Lubben helped attendees envision what could soon be a reality. TLC Bucks Arts would operate similarly to its sister locations, providing a cost-free, college-focused academic curriculum in a variety of fields, all revolving around art.
“The success of all of our schools rests in the power of art,” Lubben said. “Much literature exists that supports increased academic achievement in direct proportion to the amount of time a student devotes to the arts.”
According to Lubben, a unique aspect of TLC Arts is the daily time devoted to professional training in the visual and performing arts. Instead of a single class period, all students spend three hours each day involved in the major of their choice.
Students can choose to pursue a degree in dance, theater, instrumental music, vocal music, literary arts and journalism, and visual and graphic art. Additional programs include music theater, a brand new offering, and figure skating, a major Lubben said is difficult to come by at most schools.
Once TLC Bucks Arts is officially up and running, students will be able to audition for one or more majors of their preference. Lubben stressed that admission to the school is not based on academic grades. Rather, it’s determined by a rubric that focuses on a balanced combination of talent and passion. In his years of arts education experience, he has found shower singers to exude as much (or more) interest as those professionally trained.
Lubben hopes to open TLC Bucks Arts with at least 250 students and eventually cap off the school population at 450.
“Smaller is better,” he said. “I’m not trying to compete with larger high schools.”
After his remarks, Lubben took attendees on a tour of the building. Though the space is still very much a work in progress, they were able to get a sense of where each feature of the school is expected to go.
The lobby will be transformed from a credit union into a performing arts theater, while the first floor will be home to a special education suite. Here, Lubben mentioned how TLC Arts practices an inclusionary model, which means these students won’t be limited to the suite — they’ll be participating in the classroom as much as possible.
On the second floor will be a spacious dance studio, along with several smaller ones, to accommodate the high influx of dance majors expected at TLC Bucks Arts. The third floor will house six to eight classrooms, including an art room with a stretching window that overlooks the outside scenery.
Over the next few months, TLC Bucks Arts will host several open house information sessions at 1000 Northbrook Drive, including Saturday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. To learn more, visit tlcbucks.org and tlcartschools.com. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
