Granite Academy, a Braintree-based day school for middle and high school students who have emotional issues that complicate their learning, today announced it has merged with JRI.  The merger gives JRI the opportunity to expand its existing day school programs while offering Granite Academy the support needed to continue providing its students with the best educational outcomes.

“Granite Academy has an outstanding reputation for serving students with particular learning needs and we believe it complements well the others schools we operate in the region,” said Andy Pond, President and CEO of JRI.  “We can learn from some of the things that Granite Academy does really well while integrating the successful trauma-informed model of care used by our existing schools.”

JRI currently operates schools similar to Granite Academy, including the Victor School in Acton and the Southeast Alternative School in Middleboro and on Cape Cod.  The schools will now collectively serve 140 students from communities across Eastern Massachusetts.

Granite Academy’s current enrollment is 45 middle and high school aged students in grades 5 – 12 who are referred from over 30 local school districts.  Granite Academy students experience a range of challenges that complicate the learning process, social interactions and family life.  These challenges include diagnosed learning disabilities, mood disorders, anxiety and other psychiatric diagnoses, attention deficit disorder, attendance problems, difficulty participating in school activities, executive functioning deficits, self-regulation problems, low self-confidence, social skills weaknesses and age-appropriate independent living skills.

“Merging with JRI and its rich array of programs and schools is a fantastic opportunity for Granite Academy,” says Jim Bertram, Executive Director of Granite Academy, now a division of JRI.  “JRI’s range of resources will strengthen Granite Academy and contribute to our ability to provide the best possible services for our students, their families and their communities."

Granite Academy offers a fully graded and approved academic curriculum, MCAS preparation, vocation and college preparation, and individual counseling.  Students who successfully complete the school’s academic program receive a diploma issued by the student’s home school system.

The merger took effect on July 1.