Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

School Board votes for Saturday school

School Board members voted unanimously Tuesday to implement a Saturday school program for disciplinary reasons to replace In School Suspension (ISS) this fall.

The board members were told by Superintendent Bobby Smithson that budget matters will be a serious concern next year, and heard the following about the proposal.

A Saturday school policy is in place in the Pulaski County School District and at Cutter Morning Star. Those school districts have shared with Gurdon their experiences concerning the program.

Many children have been reported to dislike the idea of going to class on Saturday. And the cost of providing a Saturday school alternative compared to ISS is approximately one-third.

To provide two instructor/supervisors for 36 Saturdays will cost the district approximately $4,320.

Smithson said, "And there will be Saturdays you don't have anyone in the discipline program so this cost may be a little less."

Cabe Middle School Principal Libby White told the Board the plan was to send a discipline problem child to Saturday school and encourage them to do homework while there by revealing to them the consequences of not being allowed back in class the following Monday after they went to the Saturday school. The hope being they use the time found on the regular suspension to get the work done and come on back to school the following day.

"We are counting on parental cooperation," she said. "If there is no compliance by a discipline problem student toward completing a Saturday school requirement, the next steps are to look at more suspension days or possible expulsion."

White told the board the plan she was explaining provides for grades five through 12 having Saturday school, which is what the Board agreed to by unanimous vote.

ISS is not working, White added. Saturday school is to meet three or four hours, with students being required to do school work the whole time there.

"If they don't come to Saturday school as ordered, we are asking for authority in this new plan to suspend them the next two school days," she said. "We want the message to go to the students that a no show on Saturday results in suspension."

White said in serious discipline problems, such as physically getting into a fight or cussing a teacher, these more serious degrees of misbehavior would probably still result in suspension  bypassing the Saturday option.

"What we have been hearing from those already using a Saturday school procedure is that most kids don't want to go back," White said. "We would like to try this."

When asked by Board member Charles Bullard as to what he thought, Gurdon High School Principal Leonard Gills said he supports a Saturday school program.

"I could name for you the pros and cons of the idea. And there are some things about it I do not like," he said.

"But I will support it. I don't know if Saturday school will work, but we do need to try something different.

"This may be a better alternative than the current In School Suspension program."

Discipline policy at CMS and GHS involves levels, corresponding to the number of disobedient acts committed by a student. On one level, if a student gets three detention hall assignments, he or she is assigned to Saturday school and can not attend school functions.

Gills said the time will double with each instance one is assigned to Saturday school.

"And they must do their work while there," he stressed. "If they don't do their work, then we look at possible suspension."

Smithson recommended the approval of Saturday school to the Board, and received full cooperation.