'ASPIRE'ing to the future

Four years in the making, the Douglas County School District's alternative education program has grown not only in enrollment and staff but in effectiveness as well.

According to a report presented to school board members on Tuesday night, credit recovery as a result of the ASPIRE program has jumped from 17 credits in 2006-07 to 235 credits earned in 2009-10.

Assistant Superintendent Lyn Gorrindo pointed to a photograph of five ASPIRE students who graduated from high school last spring. She expects that number to increase to eight this June.

"We are no longer a standalone school within a school," she explained. "Students are enrolled in their home school. Only the expelled are truly in the alternative education school."

As of Tuesday, Gorrindo said enrollment had grown to 47 students in grades 7-12. Of those, approximately 25 percent have been expelled from other schools. Gorrindo said she'd like to see enrollment increase to 60.

"We have a waiting list (10 students) of those who want to attend because they're credit deficient or they have not been successful in the traditional classroom and want to try an alternative setting," she said.

Presently housed at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School, ASPIRE has also added staff members. The program now has three full-time teachers, one part-time math teacher, plus part-time science instruction and academic counseling.

Originally envisioned to serve two purposes, credit recovery and character education, the program has made enormous strides in both areas, said ASPIRE teacher and teen author Miki Trujillo.

"Parents out there should know it's not for bad kids," she said, "just kids."

The name ASPIRE is an acronym for All Students Pursuing Integrity, Responsibility and Education. Over the last few years, students have taken up a variety of community service projects, including several donations to charitable causes and the construction of a memorial in front of the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center honoring deceased youth.

ASPIRE student Eric Ezell, 17, one was of several students who spoke to the school board on Tuesday. He told trustees that he'd always been in trouble before joining ASPIRE last year.

"The first two weeks, my behavior changed," he said. "I honestly believe ASPIRE helps me be a better person. I want to graduate with a full diploma and go on to college."

Morgan Perry, 18, said she was battling with drugs and failing classes.

"Once I grabbed onto it (ASPIRE), everything changed for me," she said.

Now, Morgan has been accepted to four different colleges.

"These are great kids," added parent Steve Stratton. "My son has learned a lot from them."

Stratton said his son was an AP student who was expelled his junior year.

"There are good kids with good grades who need this facility, too," he said.

"Our school honors diversity," Trujillo said. "Our students come from different backgrounds, different lifestyles and family make-ups, from different choices, both good and bad."

In preparing for the future, Gorrindo said the district has to take into account an estimated 200 students who have either chosen home school or have left the district for a charter school. She said the ASPIRE team is currently investigating future options, include diploma-granting status, a new location in town, career and technical education and internship offerings, and a full-time administrator.

"There are still some things we need to work out, but we're working on it," she said.

Board Clerk Keith Roman, in his last meeting as a trustee, choked up when talking about the importance of ASPIRE. He said he would like to see the program grow into a school of 200-300 kids.

"This school is a difference-maker," he said. "They're soaring like eagles, and I love it. I can't say enough good things about this program. I think we can find a lot of kids who would excel in this environment."

ASPIRE teacher Chuck Pope said physical capacity at the middle school has become an issue.

"We have 47 kids in one room for lunch," he said. "We're getting to the point where we may be failing to grow this program."

Trustee Sharla Hales said the school board has a moral imperative to support the program.

"With ASPIRE, we see large, quick success at a critical time," she said. "It's do or die for many students to graduate. Every month we wait is a lost student."