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District outlines alternative-instruction center funded chiefly by federal Safer Communities grant
Summary
The board heard a presentation on the district’s District Education Center pilot — three classrooms for alternative instruction, behavior intervention and flexible credit recovery — funded in part by an award under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and some IDEA/ESSER funds. Administration said staff would be reallocated rather than newly hired and reported improvements in discipline metrics.
District officials presented the design and early results of a District Education Center pilot aimed at reducing suspensions and providing intermediate placements for students with behavioral or high‑needs profiles.
The program: Mr. Whitman said the center contains three distinct classrooms: an alternative‑instruction room intended to serve students removed from school for three to ten days; a behavior classroom (called CABS II) for students who are between in‑school placement and outside residential placements; and a Flex High option for older students needing credit recovery. River Rock won the request for proposal to provide services under the earlier pilot, Mr. Whitman said.
Funding and staffing: The district used approximately $400,000 of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funds and applied for a Bipartisan Safer Communities Act federal grant; the district reported a $2,400,000 grant opportunity and said the district was awarded about $1,800,000 for related programming. Mr. Whitman explained a staffing‑cost tally that totals roughly $700,000 if measured as salary equivalents (about five FTEs at roughly $110,000 each plus two support positions); he emphasized those positions are largely reallocated or unfilled roles rather than brand‑new payroll increases.
Program effects: Administrators reported measurable improvements tied to the center: Whitman told the board referrals at the high school had dropped by about 40 percent after implementing the alternative instruction option, with attendance and graduation indicators beginning to trend upward. He said the alternative‑instruction classroom serves roughly 12 students per day and the CABS II behavior classroom carries about 16–18 students and is nearly full; Flex High participation was described as a “handful” daily and exact numbers were not specified.
Budget implications and next steps: Some items previously funded by the grant — such as PBIS stipends and a "Back on Track" tutoring program — are being transitioned to the district’s regular budget, and administrators said modest additional budget requests (for example a $96,000 two‑year ask and ongoing stipend lines estimated at $26,000 per year for PBIS stipends) will be included in next year’s request. The board asked for more granular data on per‑student counts and cost‑benefit metrics ahead of formal budget votes.
Attribution and follow up: Administrators recommended keeping the alternative instruction and behavior classrooms and said Flex High needs can be served by existing virtual‑academy arrangements if volumes remain low. The district did not take a final vote on staffing or budget allocations during this meeting; items related to budget and the consent agenda were set to return for action at the next meeting.
