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"Safe Schools/Healthy Students"
Baxley, Georgia
| Partners: | Appling County Board of Education Pineland Mental Health Baxley Police Department | |
Appling County, Georgia, population 16,000, is an authentically rural community where everyone knows everyone else. The community is 75.9% Caucasian, 23.6% African American, and .5% Other. Over 30% of families live below the poverty line, and almost 60% of students receive free or reduced cost school lunch. The 8.4% unemployment rate is double the state rate. There is one high school that serves 1,100 students grades 9-12, one middle school serving 750 students grades 6-8, and four elementary schools serving 1,576 students in grades K-5. An additional 149 children are enrolled in a pre-school program. The county has no alternatives, other than suspension/expulsion, to intervene with middle and high school youth that demonstrate substantial and repeated risk behaviors. Last year there were 2,328 in-school suspension and 33 expulsions. A recent community survey revealed that residents perceive teen pregnancy (54%), illegal drugs (53%) and alcohol (37%) as the three most pressing unaddressed issues for the community.
In addition to the three core partners, the Appling County Family Connection and the State of Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice are involved in the project. The Family Connection is a state-funded initiative that provides a mechanism for county leaders to work with state agencies to develop ways to improve schooling, children's services and family function.
The project has three overall goals: a) create a safer school environment for students; b) create healthier students and families; and c) increase and enhance school-community cooperation. To accomplish these goals, elementary school-based mental health counselors will be front-line "case managers" who ensure that all available community pre-natal, infant and early childhood services are made available to local families. An expanded school-based pre-kindergarten program will provide children ages 3 to 5 with skills development. A pro-social elementary curriculum will be part of the strategy to make elementary schools "caring communities of learners". Middle and high school students will receive an evidence-based supplementary curriculum strong in violence prevention and prosocial skills. Disruptive students will be referred to the juvenile court for enrollment in school-based pre- and after-school activities designed to correct chronic disruptive behavior while maintaining the student in his/her regular classroom in the school. As part of this effort, parents will be required to attend weekly parenting classes taught by a mental health counselor. Another option for problem students will be the Learning Center which is an alternative school focusing on employability. Students K through 8 will have opportunities to participate in structured after school programs. School security will be enhanced by the addition of two school resource officers and a revised safe school policy.
The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation will provide an evaluation design and ongoing administrative and program consultation.
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