There is no denying it: alternative schools have a bad rep. But
for many students who attend them in San Benito County, their
small, personalized feel and shorter classes are exactly what they
need to get their work done.
Hollister – There is no denying it: alternative schools have a bad rep. But for many students who attend them in San Benito County, their small, personalized feel and shorter classes are exactly what they need to get their work done.
Approximately 160 students attend San Andreas Continuation High School – one of two continuation schools in the county – and administrators say the alternative approach to education is keeping many of the kids, who might otherwise give up on high school, in class.
About half of the students who end up at the school do so on their own initiative and there are many reasons behind their choice, said Santiago Echaore, assistant principal at San Benito High School. Some come here because they have families they need to support while others just want a new environment, moving from a high school with close to 3,000 students to a much smaller place where students know each other and the academics are less demanding.
“At the high school, there are just so many distractions…kids can have problems with gangs or become involved in alcohol and drugs,” said Echaore.
At San Andreas, the average class size is 15 compared to 30 at San Benito High and the school day ends at 12:15 pm when most Balers are just getting hungry. There is no lunch time and almost no electives for San Andreas students, save for a computer, arts and yearbook class. But the students don’t seem to mind.
“It was getting hard to pay attention at San Benito (High School),” said Lupe Sanchez, 16, who has attended San Andreas Continuation School for three weeks. “It was my own decision to come here.”
The others are sent to the continuation school after repeated offenses such as smoking on campus, getting into fights or for bad grades. They are referred by a group of school administrators at the high school, who review the student’s record and recommend the transfer.
But with only four hours of instruction, school moves at a different pace in San Andreas than San Benito High and those who want to transfer back to the main campus can have a hard time doing so, unless they are prepared to work hard to get there.
“If you come to us behind in credits and want to return to San Benito in a semester, it’s going to be really hard to do,” said Mike Sanchez, director of alternative education.
While San Benito High School requires 235 credits to graduate, while San Andreas requires only 190. When students are first admitted to the school, they have to declare their educational plans to a committee. If returning to San Benito High School is a goal, counselors draw up a schedule that could include extra classes in the afternoon or concurrent enrollment at Gavilan College to keep up with the required credits. An average of six to seven students per semester request to be transferred back and can usually do so before graduating, Sanchez said.
An average of 100 students graduate from San Andreas each year or about 60 percent of those enrolled in the school.
While teachers and administrators want the best for their students, they are also realistic about the expectations because they have seen them struggle with academics, attendance – even showing up to class on time. Numerous San Andreas students have gone on to Gavilan College and some eventually go on to four year schools, although there are no numbers available. Others join the military and they often come back to thank Sanchez and other educators for helping them get on the right track, said Sanchez.
The school is also working with DeVry to set up a testing site for students interested in acquiring a specialized trade or skill.
“We are always looking for new avenues to push our kids through,” said Sanchez.
But neither teachers nor administrators at San Andreas measure success by how many students return to San Benito High or even necessarily graduate. Instead, they are more concerned about seeing their students discover the joy of learning and acquiring the tools they can use for the rest of their lives.
“When you work with students and you see that they’ve figured out the steps they need to take, it’s the best feeling,” said Sanchez.
Karina Ioffee covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or ki*****@fr***********.com
