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All in all, Education by Choice seems to be working. School Superintendent William Alberts says, "The community is happy with the way the alternative program has evolved." The students also seem to be pleased. Junior Sue Eaton, for example, was tempted by the PIE alternative, but recognized that she needed more discipline than it offered. On the other hand, she felt that she would quickly get bored in the Traditional School. "I needed a push," she says, "so the Flexible School seemed like a good middle ground for me. Every Wednesday we do a lot of different things out of the classroom. I can participate in community workshops or field trips or set up a rap session with a teacher. I like that variety."
Kelly Rupp, a straight-A senior, had taken so many courses in the PIE alternative that he could have gone to college after his junior year. Instead, he stayed in Quincy because "I couldn't learn as much in the first year at most colleges. Here I can go as far as I want."