NILES — Carmen Boatwright, of Niles, and Cherri Lawson-Holt, of New Troy, spent last Thursday afternoon in the basement of the Niles District Library, each at her own desk. Around them, others sat writing, typing or speaking in quiet voices.

Boatwright and Lawson-Holt are part of Niles Community Schools’ adult education program, which has had 66 students enrolled two months into the school year, halfway to last year’s full school year enrollment of 127.

John Fonash, head of the program, said he thinks the promising numbers are thanks, in part, to adult education’s move to the Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St., in April.

“That’s the crux of what we were hoping to happen,” he said. “There would be a beneficial effect in terms of enrollment and participation on both of our sides.”

That other side is the library itself. New director and longtime library employee Steve Compoe said the library partnered with the adult education program to increase patronage and help it achieve its goals.

“We were taking a more outward focus into the community and some gaps we could fill, and this was a good partnership for it,” he said.

The move was a result of a 2015 Niles school district bond that upgraded some buildings with new air conditioning, heating, flooring, boards and carpeting. Other properties were put up for sale and sold, including Westside School, where Niles’ adult education program was located.

Fonash and students alike said the move was needed and the result was beneficial. Talks about a partnership with the library had been in the works years before the move happened, Fonash said.

Boatwright, who is 1.5 credits away from her high school diploma and a potential venture into the culinary arts, said Westside had too much of a classroom atmosphere. Its second floor location also made it difficult for her to reach when she was sick.

Now, students have a choice between stairs and an elevator to the basement location. Once in the program’s space, she can choose between tables and cushioned chairs in a large public room. Or, she can sit in a walled-off room for more private work.

Regardless of where adult education students sit, they can always seek guidance from school staff, who are available from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday.

“It’s easy to feel comfortable here,” Fonash said. “A lot of our students have been out of school for quite a while and had difficult experiences with school in the past. Sometimes, it takes a lot of courage to take that first step and come back in.”

A classroom setting at Westside made some people feel uncomfortable, he said. A space that represents a library setting does not.

Lawson-Holt uses the space when she can. It can be difficult, given other responsibilities.

That is why she is appreciative of the program’s flexibility and her ability to work remotely.

Boatwright expressed similar views.

“That’s what made me decide to get my diploma instead of my GED. It was a little more accessible than it’s ever been,” Lawson-Holt said.

Both Lawson-Holt and Boatwright applied for adult education programs a few years ago, but they said this program allows them to manage work efficiently and offers a space to focus and receive help.

They said not many adult education programs exist in the area, let alone one that works with them.

“It’s wonderful that we’re given this opportunity,” she said. “I don’t think that many people know that this opportunity is out there and how easy it is to do this, because they definitely work with your
schedule.”