Three school programs vie for attention

Advocates for three current school programs made presentations to the Sisters School Board at the final board meeting of 2010 on December 8.

Three current FFA (Future Farmers of America) members made a brief impassioned plea for the continued funding for their fledgling agriculture program at Sisters High School. Shawn Diez gave a detailed report on the progress of the Community Schools Initiative, and after 17 days of operation, the School Based Health Clinic weighed in with their progress so far.

In defending the Sisters ag program from the budget ax, three current FFA members, Sam Palacio of the Bend FFA, Lindsay Soliz, vice president of the Sisters FFA, and Canyon Bork, also of Sisters FFA, presented compelling evidence that ag students outperform traditional students by 10 to 15 percent on standardized tests and are achieving a 93-percent graduation rate.

The ag class requirements already exceed the new Oregon high school graduation standards. Palacio pointed out that when he joined the FFA group in Bend in 2001 there were only four members; four years later there were 86 members, and it is still growing.

Currently, the program is being cut.

Shawn Diez presented an update on the initial progress of the Sisters Community Schools Initiative, a first-year program offering after-school enrichment activities for Sisters elementary and middle school students. The program will expand to include high school students after Christmas break.

Using primarily the Sisters Park & Recreation District facilities, the program offers the After School Academic Support Program (ASAP), and a variety of other activities including Lego Robotics, martial arts, Spanish lessons, knitting, arts discovery and fitness training. Snacks are also provided.

The ASAP program is already tutoring 78 students, many of whom are not currently meeting academic benchmarks. This additional tutoring for students facing academic challenges, offered in an environment that includes fun activities, has delivered dramatic results in other Central Oregon schools, Diez notes.

Also in its first year, the School Based Health Clinic, now operating in a portable classroom on the Sisters High School campus, has been up and running for 17 days. The staff has treated 82 kids and has given 36 immunizations, Superintendent Jim Golden reported.

Headed into the next budget cycle, with the promise of ever-decreasing school funding, monetary support for such programs will only get more difficult. Outreach programs that involve community sponsorship and volunteer support, modeled by the Sisters Community Initiative, may well be the only way that some of these innovative programs can survive.

With the upcoming budget cycle in mind, the school board notes that there is an opening on the school budget committee. Anyone interested in serving on this vital citizen input committee needs to have their application into the district office by January 13.