MUSCATINE, Iowa — Diane Campbell’s career is centered on teenagers, and there are some she wishes she could have helped more.

One of them is an at-risk student she calls “Carla” in order to protect her identity.

The girl returned to Muscatine High School six times in a three-year period to take another swing at getting her diploma.

And she still didn’t finish.

This would have been Carla’s graduation year, and that not only bothers Carla, it bothers  Campbell too.

Campbell, an associate principal at MHS, still isn’t sure exactly what prevented Carla from achieving her educational goal. However, she and other educators believe that many at-risk students fare better when they receive more individualized attention.

On Monday, Muscatine School Board members took the first step toward addressing that issue when they voiced their support for a plan that would help at-risk students.

Campbell and her colleagues, MHS principal Bob Weaton, Kathy Brooker, a community liaison in Muscatine, and MHS counselor Keith Pogemiller, the department leader of MHS student services, told the Muscatine School Board they would like to establish an alternative school for students like Carla that will feature that very component.

“One size does not fit all,” said Weaton as he presented his committee’s ideas. “We’ve come here to ask the Board for support in pursuing an off-campus setting for the 20-plus students who could drop out, fall behind or have problems at school or home. We feel we’re obligated to meet those kids’ needs.”

Weaton said the first step toward the program could began in this year’s second semester with a pilot program at MHS for at-risk students who need help recovering lost credits and building their grades.

In June 2009, Weaton and his committee would speak to the Board about how the in-school program is doing and ask for input on setting up an off-campus site.

In order to establish a separate site, the committee will need to locate a building, hire a staff and determine the costs of running the program.

The third step would be to establish the off-campus site for use in the 2009-10 school year.

Weaton said he realizes that the troubled national economy puts a crimp on school district budgets here and across the state, but he and his colleagues don’t believe the District can afford to wait to start implementing the program.

“We’ll keep losing kids,” he said.

Brooker said she has made contacts with community leaders who told her they believe increasing the number of successful students will benefit the entire community. She said she is striving to help the District secure agreements to help fund the alternative program through industry, business and private partners in the community.

Students who don’t graduate have a greater tendency to abuse drugs and alcohol, become pregnant in their teen years, become victims of domestic violence and become incarcerated, said Brooker.

She told the Board that the average high school dropout ends up costing the community $200,000 to $250,000 over 40 years.

Board member Jerry Lange said helping fund the program would be an “excellent way for the community to show its support.”

Superintendent Tom Williams said funding from various sources within the community would be vital to helping the district fund the program.

“Once an off-campus site is located and funding is established, then we’d be in a position to seek funding to help start an alternative high school,”

Board member Tammi Drawbaugh told the committee that she realizes money could be an issue, however, “I don’t think we can’t not look at developing this program,” she said. “The kids deserve it.”

Pogemiller and Weaton said finding teachers who can reach the students is crucial.

In his 37 years in public education, Pogemiller said he believes establishing a bond between students and adult educators is paramount to reaching at-risk students.

The low teacher-to-student ratio at an alternative site would address this need, he said.

Reporter contact information

Cynthia Beaudette 563-262-0527

cynthia.beaudette@muscatinejournal.com