A shoving match at Pinnacles Community School got out of hand
Monday morning, sending one student to the hospital and another
back to juvenile hall.
The two students were fighting over a disagreement they had off
campus, said Mike Sanchez, alternative programs director. The
aggressor was recently released from juvenile hall and enrolled at
Pinnacles. The other student tripped and fell, bumping his head on
the ground. Both students are in their mid-teens, Sanchez said.
A shoving match at Pinnacles Community School got out of hand Monday morning, sending one student to the hospital and another back to juvenile hall.
The two students were fighting over a disagreement they had off campus, said Mike Sanchez, alternative programs director. The aggressor was recently released from juvenile hall and enrolled at Pinnacles. The other student tripped and fell, bumping his head on the ground. Both students are in their mid-teens, Sanchez said.
Officers from the Sheriff’s Department came to the scene, as well as an ambulance that took the student who fell to the hospital as a precautionary measure, Sanchez said. He had a bump on his head, but was released.
The aggressor was sent back to juvenile hall and suspension will be discussed with the other student, Sanchez said.
“We don’t take those things lightly,” he said. “We want there to be a safe environment that’s conducive to learning. If you interfere with that, you’ll be dealt with.”
“There needs to be more of an orientation” when kids move from juvenile hall to Pinnacles, Sanchez said. Sometimes, students are released from juvenile hall and attend classes at Pinnacles the same day, he said.
“This is a very powerful and successful program. (Monday) was very unusual,” Sanchez said.
There are about 40 students enrolled at the three-classroom campus. Students attend school for four hours a day. Pinnacles is part of the county’s alternative education program that includes the juvenile court school at juvenile hall, Santa Ana Opportunity School and San Andreas Continuation High School.
People working within the alternative education program have a philosophy that guides student achievement and behavior.
“Students have the right to learn and teachers had the right to teach,” Sanchez said. “You’re not going to use our school for something else.”
