What is AT LAST?

A program that improves students’ performance during the 7 hours they are in school by focusing on the 17 hours they are not. It gives kids from less prosperous families the educational resources and tools enjoyed by kids from more affluent families during the home life portion of a school day. Students who gain admission into AT LAST! are called “Scholars-In-Residence”.

Why Choose At Last?

HOUSE 1, SITE 1

405 E. OVERTON ROAD,
DALLAS, TEXAS 75216

AT LAST! built a 5,700 square-foot residence that can house up to 16 Scolars-In-Residence. It is a place where space, color and natural light are first things noticed. It is a warm and welcoming place where kids become comfortable quickly, and love their bedrooms. It sits on a 4 acre parcel that has a nice creek running through it, with a fantastic park being developed on the other side of the creek.

At Last! In the Media

At Last! Board Members

Randy Bowman

Randy Bowman

AT LAST! – Chair, CEO and President

Kimberly Davis Singleton

Kimberly Davis Singleton

C-Suite Finance Executive

David S. Huntley

David S. Huntley

Sr EVP – Chief Compliance Officer

David E. Krause

David E. Krause

Sr Consultant, Visionary Philanthropy

Mattye Gouldsby-Jones

Mattye Gouldsby-Jones

Atty at Coats Rose, P.C. in Dallas, Texas

Mary Hart

Mary Hart

Architect

Board of Directors

  • Randy A. Bowman
  • Kim Singleton
  • David Huntley
  • David Krause
  • Mary Hart
  • Mattye Gouldsby Jones
  • Eric Krueger
  • Barry Henry
  • Angela Hall Watkins

Founding Board (2015-2017)

  • Randy Bowman
  • Jill Louis
  • Eddie Reeves

Advisory Board

  • Sheldon Smith (Security)
  • Dexter Ingram (Security)
  • Grafton Ifill (Fundraising)
  • Nick Henderson (Fundraising)
  • Cheryl Alston (Fundraising)

Team

  • Cornell Lacy
  • Travene Crawford
  • Hank Williams

Go-To-Market Team

  • Gerald Edwards
  • Chequan Lewis
  • Whitney Fogel Lewis
  • Justin Henry
  • Josh Smith

The Waymakers Club

  • Leecia Eve
  • Peter and Lael Brodsky
  • William and Karen Langford
  • Otis and Angela Spencer
  • Mark and Dawn Malveaux
  • Chequan and Whitney Lewis
  • Mark and Janiece Evans Page

Key Allies

  • Bret and Ruth Farrer
  • Joe Pruitt
  • Tim Byrne

Scholars-In-Residence Suite Donors

  • Kent and Lisa Montgomery
  • Leon and Debra Carter
  • Debra Hunter-Johnson
  • Veronica and Eric Moyé

Frequently Asked Questions

A program that improves students’ performance during the 7 hours they are in school by focusing on the 17 hours they are not. It gives kids from less prosperous families the educational resources and tools enjoyed by kids from more affluent families during the home life portion of a school day. Students who gain admission into AT LAST! are called “Scholars-In-Residence”.

To describe what AT LAST! does (boarding), while distinguishing it from a ‘Boarding School.’ AT LAST! is not a school. A Scholar-In-Residence attends the school chosen by his/her parent/guardian. During the school year, on Sunday afternoon at 3:00pm, he/she comes to the neighborhood AT LAST! residence to gain access to the type of optimized developmental ecosystem (and educational resources and tools) that are enjoyed by kids who are members of more affluent families, and stays the night. The next school morning, he/she awakens in the AT LAST! House, goes to school, returns to the AT LAST! House once the school day ends, and starts the process again until Friday after Schoo, when they go to their primary home (see answer to next question).

During the school year, a Scholar-In-Residence goes to the AT LAST! Residence each Sunday during the afternoon and returns (after school) each day until Friday. After school on Friday, each Scholar-In-Residence returns home for the weekend. He/she is also at home during each holiday and for the full summer. Bottom line: A Scholar-In-Residence spends more days at home with his/her family during a year than at the AT LAST! Residence.

AT LAST!’s Overton location will begin with one residence, and there will be 16 Scholars-In-Residence in that residence. Over time, the number of Scholars-In-Residence will increase at the Overton location. Given the importance of Early Childhood Education, AT LAST!’s Scholars-In-Residence will be elementary school-aged (1st-through-6th grade). Initially, AtLast! will focus on 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. The program will be offered to 1st and 2nd graders once AtLast! builds its next house on Overton Road.

Yes. AT LAST! Began providing program services to its first Scholars-In-Residence during the spring semester of 2021 at its Overton Road location (405 E. Overton Road, Dallas, TX 7516).

No. AT LAST! is an urban Boarding Experience in the vein of Boarding Schools targeting better academic outcomes from students whose families have high aspirations for them. Its mission is not therapeutic and not punitive. Is not a place built and designed for bad or troubled kids, and it’s not a program to “rescue” kids from “bad” parents. It is a program for good parents and grandparents who value education. They believe in their child’s ability to learn and are willing to make sacrifices to help him/her get better educational outcomes. Kids can only enter AT LAST! If their parent or grandparent decides AT LAST! is a good resource for their family. Thus, AT LAST! (will not accept coercive or mandatory placement of kids from courts, agencies, etc.).

No. AT LAST! is a neighborhood-based Boarding Experience, and each AT LAST! Residence is designed to serve the kids who live in the immediately-surrounding neighborhood. Part of the appeal of AT LAST! is that the child will remain in close proximity to the family at all times.

Apply when an AT LAST! Residence is accepting applications in your city. If more kids who meet the criteria apply than AT LAST! can accommodate, a lottery admissions process will determine which applicants are granted admission. AtLast! has slots for 16 Scholars-In-Residence. It has periodic application windows, and conducts lottery admissions processes when needed to fill open slots.

AT LAST! does not ‘charge’ a parent/guardian a ‘fee’ for a Scholar-In-Residence to participate in AT LAST!. However, a parent/guardian will be expected to help make AT LAST! available for his/her child with ‘in-kind’ contributions (e.g., helping tidy up the area in the AT LAST! Residence where his/her child sleeps, communicating with AT LAST! stakeholders, etc.).

Yes. First, AT LAST! will first prove its premise at its Overton Road location in Dallas. Then, AT LAST! will scale and serve as a model to improve educational outcomes in other urban areas across America.

Yes, operations like AT LAST!’s are regulated by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and cannot operate unless it has a license from that department.

Please take as many of the following actions as suit you: Go to www.atlastboarding.com, navigate to ‘How Can I Help?’ and indicate the areas in which you would be comfortable helping. Go to Facebook, search for ‘AT LAST!’ and ‘Like’ the page. Serve as an informal, deputized ‘brand ambassador’ for AT LAST! by spreading the word that AT LAST! exists and that it is helping its Scholars-In-Residence achieve significant improvement in their educational outcomes.

Learn More About AT LAST! And Its Scholar-in-Residence Program

    You can help by joining this movement to empower great parents to equip their children for the future. During the home life portion of a school day, AT LAST!s Scholars-In-Residence need access to the same types of educational resources and tools as the children of the more affluent. Please tell us all of the ways you feel you can help AT LAST! make that happen for them:

      We are here to help you with any questions that you may have about our program.

      ©2024 At Last! The first "boarding experience" for Dallas ISD students

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