When Thea Bowman (TBLA) scholars and staff return for the 2020-2021 school year, they will be welcomed with exciting new opportunities on a combined state-of-the art campus.  

TBLA Elementary scholars will leave their old building (on 6th Avenue) and move into Thea Bowman’s newest and largest facility located down the road at 3401 W 5th Avenue in Gary. The 5th Avenue facility, which now only hosts the middle and high scholars with much available capacity, will be adapted to host K-12.   

“We are excited about the possibilities of this K-12 conversion for our staff, our scholars, and our families,” said TBLA K-12 Principal, Marisa Simmons. “This will allow us to offer all of our teachers and scholars, kindergarten through 12th grade, stronger resources, greater opportunities for collaboration, greater opportunities to support and build relationships with our Gary scholars and families that extend through all of their primary school years, and it allows us to set long-term academic goals that prepare our students for success.” 

A K-12 configuration will support TBLA in its goal to build stronger relationships with families and scholars over time. It also allows the school to better understand and fulfill scholars’ academic needs kindergarten through graduation. It allows for vertical planning and collaboration between teachers and opportunities for peer mentoring between the secondary and elementary scholars.  

Next school year by combining resources, TBLA scholars will have access to more quality facilities, more quality programming, and additional extracurricular and academic supports to ensure a successful school year and beyond. TBLA staff and leaders have expressed great excitement over next year’s plans to unite with one site, one purpose-- ensuring that scholars learn today so that they lead tomorrow.