CHANGES IN CHARLESTON, PART 2; GRANT MONEY, RENEWED FOCUS MAKES DIFFERENCE IN EDUCATION

Paul Brown worked on one of the new computers in a business class at Charleston High School.

CHARLESTON -- School officials believe new money and a renewed commitment to excellence is beginning to bear fruit for the Charleston School District.

The district, which has had to battle a high drop-out rate and low achievement on state assessments for much of this decade, has been working in recent years to turn around those statistics. New program collaborations, a flurry of successful grant submissions, and an emphasis on safety are the main reasons for recent improvement, said Superintendent Terry Rowe.

Rowe said the district wants to avoid a repeat of what happened between 1993 and 1997. In 1993, the former junior high school burned down, and students were housed in an empty warehouse until a new building was built. The dropout rate began to soar, about the same time that state evaluators said the district was meeting only four of 11 state achievement objectives."We have a renewed focus on academics and curriculum, and with that focus in mind, it forces us to look at ourselves more than we did in the mid-'90s," Rowe said.

Rowe said the outside funding is probably the heart of the district's recent successes. A dwindling enrollment and little increase in local funding has meant no additional state funding for the district. Efforts to improve facilities without asking voters for a tax increase or bond issue has resulted in dwindling fund balances, and school officials have had to incorporate strict budgeting to maintain staff salaries and other budgetary concerns."We're tapping every resource," he said. "We don't have the money locally, but luckily we've been able to find it."Topping the district's list of achievements is a significant drop in its dropout rate. A 10 percent dropout rate is considered high, and in 1995 Charleston had a phenomenal 16 percent dropout rate. Since that time, homebound, alternative education and in-school suspension programs have been created or expanded, and the dropout rate dwindled this year to about 3 percent."We've made a concentrated effort to keep kids in school and we're doing what's necessary to meet the needs of the students," Rowe said.

Students also are taking advantage of the district's A+ program. The state initiative encourages high school students to sign a contract pledging good citizenship, school achievement and community service. In return, the state pays for two years tuition at a Missouri junior college or vocational school after graduation."I've got 65 percent of this school signed up and working on these requirements," said Robyn Sebaugh, program coordinator. "I know that's amazing, but I'm going to keep working until I get 100 percent participation because this is a good deal for these kids, especially the ones who can't afford to go to college otherwise."Also being improved is academic performance. Teachers are providing more after school help for students who need one-on-one attention, and the district is part of a collaboration with East Prairie School District and the Susanna Wesley Center to receive $1.2 million per year annually for three years to provide after school educational services.

The grant, called Reach for the Stars, provides each school district with $600,000 annually to offer tutoring services, homework help, enrichment classes and physical activities to students in grades kindergarten through 12. Charleston employs 49 teachers, support staff, bus drivers and cooks for the program, which Rowe expects will positively affect student achievement over the next three years."It basically extends our school year and gives the students more learning opportunities," said Rowe. "We're not going beyond 175 days, but we're extending the school day by three hours, four days per week. I expect we'll see some impact by early next year." Security also has been stepped up throughout the district, mainly to warn outsiders rather than to deter student activities, Rowe said. Kindergarten and elementary playgrounds are now fenced in, and all classrooms now have two-way intercoms that connect teachers with their school's main office.

In the high school, students occasionally must pass through metal detectors before entering the building, and security cameras are placed throughout district buildings. A school resource officer also works within the district to maintain safety and teach drug and alcohol awareness classes.

All of the equipment was bought with grant money."We go after everything that has a 10 or 20 percent match," Rowe said. "This is something we started before the shootings in Paducah and Ohio."The district still has some tough challenges ahead. Many of its minority faculty members are veteran teachers who are nearing retirement age, and recruitment of minority teachers is always a challenge. However, in a district that has a large minority enrollment, it's beneficial to have minority teachers on staff.

Another challenge is the district's dwindling enrollment, which negatively impacts state funding. Rowe said he believes economic development, including the planned opening of a state prison in the community in two years, will reverse the downward trend."I don't see it increasing a great deal, but I think we'll draw from all over the area with the new industry that's coming," he said. "Once that happens, I think we'll see a pick up."Overall, Rowe said his district has come a long way since the "low ebb" of the mid-'90s. "We're probably hitting on an eight out of 10 this year, and that eight's coming from within," he said. "We'll never be a 10, but a 9.9 wouldn't be bad."