A new alternative program offered by the Charlotte County Public Schools would give dropout students a second chance to earn their high school diploma or a GED. Starting Sept. 30, common core and remedial classes will be offered from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday nights at the Port Charlotte Town Center mall on Murdock Circle. The part-time night school, called Students Needing a Pathway to Success, or SNAP, is free of charge.

“We think we can help a lot of adults who understand the importance of education, but the way the system is set up, it is just not working for them right now,” said Ron Schuyler, principal of The Academy at Charlotte Technical Center.