BOE approves new alternative school plan





Beginning next school term, Burke County Alternative School will no longer serve high school students.

The Burke County Board of Education approved a plan last week to contract with a private company instead for alternative education for high school students displaced from the general population for discipline and other problems. The measure to hire Ombudsman Educational Services for the 2009-2010 school year passed 4-1, with vice chairman Willie Latimore opposing.

Under the new arrangement, Burke County High School students who are at risk of dropping out for disciplinary, academic, attendance or other reasons will be offered the opportunity to attend the Ombudsman program.

The Ombudsman center will be located in an off-site facility, such as a storefront, and is designed to provide an atmosphere different from the traditional classroom, according to Phyllis Lucia, a company representative who spoke to BOE members last month. Students would come to the center for just three hours each day to complete their coursework, which would be done mostly on computer and with help from teachers hired by the company. Students may choose from three different three-hour sessions throughout the day.

Lucia told BOE members that students could actually earn more credits each term in the Ombudsman program than in a traditional high school setting.

Though the company also offers services for middle school students, Burke County BOE members were not willing to take the full plunge in the first year.

“We have a good school system here but our downfall is the number of students graduating on time or getting a high school diploma at all,” BOE member Willie Jordan said before the vote. “When I saw this, I thought it was something we needed to try.”

“I’m willing to try it for a year and see if it will work or not,” BOE chairman Johnny Jenkins said. “We need to try something. If it doesn’t work, we’ll go back to where we were.”

Ombudsman, a 30-year-old company, is currently partnered with some 21 school systems in Georgia, including those in Statesboro and Thomson.

Burke County Public Schools officials contacted several systems using Ombudsman for three or more years and reported overwhelmingly positive reviews to the school board.

Specifics for the plan in Burke County, such as transportation and location, have not yet been determined. BOE members cited a need to finalize plans for the new program, as well as changes to staffing at Burke County Alternative School quickly, to be prepared for the next school term.

Burke County Alternative School, which has about 45 students from Burke County Middle School enrolled this school term, will continue to serve middle school students next year. Superintendent Linda Bailey said in previous meetings that middle school students need the structure of a full-day program.

DOLLARS AND SENSE

While BOE members agreed their main goal is improving student success, budget concerns have also been voiced.

Currently, it costs around $13,000 per student to run the alternative school, while the Ombudsman program will cost around $5,800 for each slot. However, with both programs in place, school system officials are currently looking at ways to make next year’s plan cost effective, according to spokesperson Amy. J. Nunnally. The issue will be discussed further at the next BOE meeting on April 14.


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