BISD addresses attendance rate with new program
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

In order to properly address the issue of students with low attendance rates, Brownsboro Independent School District has hired Kevin Simon to fill the position of youth services coordinator. Simon will work to give students a positive reason to stay in school.

Simon said his position is part of the Communities In Schools program, a program founded in 1977. A study by the Intercultural Development Research Association concluded in 1985 that the dropout rate for Texas was costing the state $17.2 billion in lost earning power and taxes at the time, a Communities Iin Schools pamphlet stated.

"The stay in school program," Simon began, "is designed to work with students more likely to drop out than to graduate. "

Perry Eaton, BISD's parent involvement coordinator, said CIS is connected with the Texas Education Agency.

"Schools hire someone to be placed on a campus and address several aspects of helping people attend school," Eaton said.

According to a CIS brochure, there are four basic categories of at-risk behavior to be addressed by the youth services coordinator: attendance, academics, social service needs, and overall behavior.

Attendance covers tardiness and attendance, academics handles everything from tutoring and preparation to career information, social service needs concentrates on physical needs such as school supplies, and the behavior aspect is concerned with issues such as self-esteem and how a student behaves in the classroom.

Simon said he has spoken with about ten students during the early weeks of school, but is determined to end up with 130 kids in the program.

"We want to help," Simon said. "Right now we're just getting up and running and we're in the development stage."

Eaton said in the past all BISD has had as far as checking on students who attended school was someone who approached things on the negative side, such as a truant officer.

"It's going to be incredible, " Eaton said of the change in technique. "We have a number of students at risk, attendance has straggled. Kevin will be a positive influence, an encourager to students."

Eaton added that there have been some times in the history of BISD where a student missed school and it was discovered the student was actually in a "big need" situation. In the example Eaton cited, it was discovered the student was homeless.

"Kevin's goal is to develop the means to help students attend school," Eaton finished.

Simon said the program will include weekend retreats for students this semester, and perhaps field trips during later semesters.

Simon also said he hopes to have students helping him as the program grows.