As Bill Nemitz (“A hunger to excel trumps controversy“) wondered March 27, why haven’t all the parents pulled their kids’ applications from the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science?  

Despite tremendous opposition and negative headlines, there is still a sizable student body, and requests to be put on the wait list continue to arrive.  

So why are so many students still interested in attending Baxter Academy?

As a parent of a prospective ninth-grader, this is what I have observed: A group of students  yearning to attend Baxter initiated a fundraising campaign, collecting more than $8,000 in pledges in 10 days; more than 50 enthusiastic parents make up the parent volunteer committee; five people on the board have worked tirelessly for months without compensation, in addition to their regular jobs.  

I’m a product of public school, and my oldest daughter also attends public school. I have yet to see this kind of passion in a public school — and even before Baxter’s doors have opened!

Students and parents are tired of waiting for their public schools to improve, and there is clearly a need for an alternative to the traditional public school model.  

Parents and students who crave a high-quality education and a hands-on, rigorous college preparatory environment would do well to be informed about Baxter Academy.

Rachel Rodrigues is a resident of Cumberland Foreside.