Printed December 13, 2007 ...

An alternative to Alternative School?

by ALLISON COBB
Editor

Tattnall County’s Alternative School is rarely featured in the newspaper or talked about in the Board of Education meetings. It serves mainly as an option for overly disruptive students who fail to conform to classroom and school rules.

Last year the Alternative School had a full-time enrollment (FTE) count of 36 students, all with discipline problems.

Phyllis Lucia with Educational Services of America (ESA), offered a solution to the Board of Education at their meeting Monday, December 10, 2007.

ESA operates four alternative-type school settings and one of those is Ombudsman. The program is an off-campus, alternative education program for adolescent, at-risk students.

“We are here to partner with the public schools to help increase the graduation rate,” said Lucia. “Your students remain ‘your students’ and they stay on your books. You still earn FTE credits for them.”

Ombudsman usually targets students in grades 6-12 who are chronically truant or absent; seeking credit recovery; disruptive in the classroom; English language learners; otherwise expelled or suspended; and those with medical/ health conditions. The program tailors individual educational plans for each of the students who participate and has a low student/teacher ratio.

Currently, nearby programs include Vidalia City Schools, Toombs County and Liberty County School Systems.

The Ombudsman program is normally conducted in a business setting housed in a shopping center storefront or other type off-campus location. Three programs are offered each day and students can choose the one most convenient for them. Classes last only three hours per day and are from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Students attend for a minimum of one school semester and then can possibly re-enter their regular school. Longer attendance is available too.

“We offer extremely flexible hours which work for different schedules or for students who have to work also,” said Lucia. “Although the students only attend for three hours a day, they are fully engaged for those three hours and it counts as a whole school day.”

Lucia stated that Ombudsman has 30 plus years of experience and the program sees 85 percent of students earn credits, graduate or successfully re-enter their home school. The programs are specifically designed to guide those students that face challenges in the traditional classroom setting. Since 1975, more than 100,000 students have found success with Ombudsman.

Lucia presented two proposals to the Board members for their review — one would establish a central location with 60 slots and the second offered two centers (opposite ends of the county) with 45 slots each.

“The average cost is less than the District’s average received per pupil. There are no hidden costs or additional costs and the District gets to keep the difference in the finances,” said Lucia.

Superintendent Jim Turbeville explained they would like to review the figures first but felt like he would be recommending the program.

“We could consider implementing it for next school year but we want to be sure we’d be spending less, or at least breaking even,” he said.

If Tattnall County went to the Ombudsman program, the regular Alternative School would cease.

“The alternative program we have now just doesn’t work,” said Board Member Chris Grooms.