R-5 to launch program for at-risk students

Starting this fall, the Bowman Building will be the site of a new school facility for at risk junior and senior students, Nevada High School Principal Debra Workman told the Nevada R-5 Board of Education during their July meeting Wednesday night.

This is one of several things the school district is implementing this year to help students graduate from high school.

"These kids are not necessarily problem students with behavior problems," Workman said.

They could fall into this group because of lifestyle issues. They could be living on their own and trying to balance school and paying bills. They could be homeless or couch surfing with no stable environment, she said.

"Some don't function in a regular school day," said Workman.

Some of these students have children who are 1 or 2 years old and may need child care help to complete school, she said.

Dr. David Stephens, R-5 superintendent, said that the district's child care program at the Nevada Regional Technical Center is at the Bowman Building and that could work with this program, with mothers working in the program an hour a day.

Workman said they want to start by targeting junior and senior students and get them on the right path to move forward, she said.

"We already have a lot possible students," she said.

"The goal is to reduce the drop-out rate." she said.

One key feature of the program will be the contracts each student, parent and teacher will have to complete, spelling out each one's responsibility.

A second key feature will be regular meetings between the teacher and the student's parents.

She said that sometimes that parents have a nonexistent role in a students educational process and in this program parents will be required to meet quarterly with the teachers.

A third feature will be accountability for attendance. Parents or guardians are expected to call the school before a student is to be absent. In those cases where students are on their own, the student is expected to call and tell why they will be absent.

Workman said that after three absences a letter will be sent to the student's parents notifying them. After six days a second notification letter will be sent, requesting a conference with the parent. Further actions will be taken at nine absences.

These contracts are serious business. Failure to comply with the contracts can be grounds for dismissal, she told the board.

Workman said the program is based on similar programs in Bolivar and Carl Junction, along with ideas she brought from Raymore-Peculiar.

In other business the board:

* Voted to approved a change in the Nevada High School Handbook to let students receiving out of school suspension to be allowed to make up the work they missed, with 70 percent the highest grade permitted. Deborah Workman told the board that she sees this as a major issue. "This goes along with the philosophy of making sure kids graduate," she said. If a student missed 10 days work and cannot make it up he will probably fail and there is no incentive for that child to come back.

* Voted to approve a free and reduced lunch press release to be sent to the newspaper and radio station.

* Voted to approve the transportation routes for the 2011-'12 school year.

* Voted to accept a $10,850 bid from Cash's Quality Electric for wiring the new concession stand-press box at Bushwhacker Field and the $1,434.95 for plumbing supplies from Clinton Wennelson for the building. That work will be done by the district's building trade students.

* Voted set the annual tax rate hearing for 7:30 a.m., Aug. 23.

* Voted to approve a $1,000 increase to the base salary for certified teachers and a 3 percent increase for non-certified salaries.

* Voted 6-0 to approve the resignation of Karen Johnson, paraprofessional.

* Voted 6-0 to approve hiring: Erica Wait and Michelle Robison as LPN instructors; Dan Burton as NRTC auto tech instructor; Ryan Watts as a Heartland teacher; Jessica Watts as a Benton teacher; Kay Lindsay as a Truman paraprofessional; Lewis Dunkeson, Kerri Ducan and DeAnn Hardin as paraprofessionals; Ryan Watts as high school assistant track coach; Leroy Masters, Ike Richmond and Larry Buckles as transportation; Neil Barns as high school boys basketball coach; Marty Atnip as middle school boys basketball coach; Danny Penn as high school assistant baseball coach; and Josh Smith as high school football assistant and wrestling assistant.

Transfers:

Claudine Bell from high school secretary to central office secretary.

Linda Gower from Heartland secretary to high school secretary.

Melodie Davis from Heartland paraprofessional to Heartland secretary.

Mike Galimberto from middle school to Truman .

Nicole Berning from Truman to library.