Hanny Arram Center for Success Becomes Reality

Kearney Public Schools and the Arram Family are pleased to announce an agreement that will benefit and support Kearney Public Schools as well as the city of Kearney and the surrounding area. Under the agreement, Kearney Public Schools will acquire the former Family Practice property at 3907 Sixth Avenue for the purpose of opening a nontraditional education and therapeutic center for students. The new facility will be named the Hanny Arram Center for Success.

The Hanny Arram Center for Success will open with a focus on improving educational opportunities with specific targeted support for KPS students in grades 6-12. The district intends to offer a variety of flexible alternative educational programs, therapeutic support, support for suspended students, and a 6-12 virtual academy. KPS intends to open the facility in August 2021. Over time, the district will bring school and community resources together in this facility for the support of students and families both in Kearney and across central Nebraska.

“The Hanny Arram Center for Success will advance education programming for students in our district that need specialization in education,” stated Dr. Kent Edwards, Superintendent of Schools. “This new space will allow us the opportunity to provide innovative educational programming as an option to traditional school programming. A non-traditional approach to education that is tailored to the specific needs of the student will increase the chances for their success.”

In full development, the school will house many programs including instruction, counseling, mentoring, career education and experiences, and social-emotional learning. Students will work with instructional staff and utilize computer-assisted instruction to master the skills necessary to meet academic standards. Students will also have the opportunity for accelerated credit recovery.

“This facility will allow KPS to continue our focus that all students can achieve success if provided with the proper environment, targeted education, and real-life experiences and expectations,” stated Alex Straatmann, KPS Board of Education President. “I am grateful to the Arram Family for their generosity and investment in KPS. This facility will have a lasting legacy in KPS for many years to come.”

Under the agreement, Kearney Public Schools will acquire the property significantly below its appraised value with the Arram Family providing an additional cash gift to their Family Foundation to further benefit the citizens of Kearney and the surrounding area. The total gift provided to KPS and the Arram Family Foundation for the benefit of the community will exceed $1,000,000. “We are very pleased to have collaborated with Kearney Public Schools in providing an opportunity for these much-needed services to the community and bringing the vision for the Hanny Arram Center for Success to reality” stated Nadia Arram Saadi, Foundation Director and acting President of the Arram Family Foundation.

“For the past six years, The Arram Family Foundation has been proud to support worthy causes in the Kearney area. We plan to continue our supportive endeavors in perpetuity. The Arram Family Foundation prides itself in having distributed over $500,000 since its inception with100% of each dollar going to serve the different programs that it has adopted from year to year and zero dollars going to operating expenses” stated Byron Hansen, a member of the Arram Family Foundation Board of Directors.

According to KPS Associate Superintendent, Jason Mundorf, the district has seen a need for a new and unique approach to alternative education. “The Hanny Arram Center for Success will be the long-needed resource to benefit our school system and community. It is clear that across the nation and right here in Buffalo County, there is a need for non-traditional schools that allow students to complete their courses in a more flexible manner. We also look for this center to be a place where students and families can deal with social-emotional issues that are inhibiting success in school and life. Students and families will benefit tremendously from our approaches and we will greatly improve our mission of all students graduating with an eye towards a bright future,” stated Mundorf.

Photo:

Back Row:Kent Edwards, Essam Arram, Barbara Arram, Courtney Arram, Amir Saadi, Nadia Saadi, Camil Saadi

Front Row: Jason Mundorf, Sophie Arram, Essam Arram, Kathy Gifford

Not Pictured: Tarik Arram

HANNY ARRAM CENTER FOR SUCCESS IS EXPANDING

The KPS Hanny Arram Center for Success will open in the fall of 2021, but is already expanding. Through a generous $250,000 donation by the Essam and Barbara Arram family, Kearney Public Schools will be able to remodel and finish construction on the 6,485 square feet basement for to create a tutoring center and large flexible learning area.

The Arram Family Tutoring Center will target support for KPS students in grades 3-12 through one-on-one and small group tutoring opportunities. While tutoring support is in the planning phase, KPS hopes to offer tutoring in the 21-22 school year after school from 3:50-5:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays through the Arram Family Tutoring Center. A process for students to attend the center will be initiated and the information will be provided on the KPS website and at kearneypublicschools.org/hannyarramcenterforsuccess.

The Arram family is excited to add the tutoring space and programming needed to help students. “The Hanny Arram Center for Success and now the Arram Family Tutoring Center are long-standing dreams of our family to support student learning and students,” said Nadia Arram Saadi, Arram Family Foundation Director. “Hanny was a man who loved to help others in the most unconventional ways. He would be so pleased with the work and success that will come with this center. We are very excited to partner with KPS in this endeavor and look forward to seeing how the programs developed will impact and change students’ lives.”

In January, Kearney Public Schools and the Arram Family announced an agreement to acquire property for the purpose of opening a non-traditional education and therapeutic center for students. The new facility, located at 3907 Sixth Avenue, was named the Hanny Arram Center for Success. The Hanny Arram Center for Success will open with a focus on improving educational opportunities with specific targeted support for KPS students in grades 6-12. Students will work with instructional staff and utilize computer-assisted instruction to master the skills necessary to meet academic standards. The district intends to offer various flexible alternative educational programs, therapeutic support, support for suspended students, a 6-12 virtual academy, and now, tutoring.

“With this additional space, the Hanny Arram Center for Success will be able to offer a tutoring program for students throughout the year,” stated Dr. Kent Edwards, KPS Superintendent. “It has long been evident there is a need for a non-traditional learning program and tutorial services that will facilitate our students in a flexible manner with effective, additional educational support. The Hanny Arram Center for Success will advance education programming for students in our district that need a customized, tailored approach to education.”

In full development, the Hanny Arram Center for Success will house many programs, including instruction, counseling, mentoring, career education and experiences, social-emotional learning, and tutoring. “We are very grateful to the Arram family for providing this generous support to get the Hanny Arram Center for Success open,” said Edwards. “With the tutoring center, our students in need of additional help will now be able to access it.”