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Saturday, March 29, 2008
Family School has waiting list for enrollment
Sandy Battin News-Bulletin Staff Writer; sbattin@news-bulletin.com
Belen
Principal Beverly Turley told the Belen Board of Education Tuesday that the Family School is a big success.
She said that students are lined up for the first grade at the school through 2012. "It's an excellent school" that has made Adequate Yearly Progress — through federally mandated student testing — for the past several years. At the school, students attend classes for half the week and are home-schooled for the remainder.
Almost every class is filled and a waiting list exists, she said. A yearly average of 60 percent of students who attend the Family School go on to attend Belen High School, Turley said. Of the others, some of their parents work in Albuquerque and drive their children to private schools there. Some have gone on to Valencia High School in the Los Lunas district.
She also asked that, in the future, the board consider creating a Belen Alliance of Alternative Schools covering Infinity High School, Family School and the alternative school for special education. She is principal of all three.
In other action, the board:
Congratulated and recognized Coach Lee Chavez and the Belen High School wrestling team for their wins at the state tournament.
Honored the Belen High School Academic Decathlon team and coaches Amy Romero and Matt Williams. With a Civil War theme for this year's contest, the team learned everything from battles to the culture of slaves and their owners, diseases to macroeconomics. "Programs and students like these make my job as an educator a challenge and extremely rewarding," Williams said. Board member Dolores "Lola" Quintana said Williams had been a student of hers when she taught high school and that he brought out the same joy in teaching in her.
Heard from board member Julian Luna that he has been talking with State Sen. Michael Sanchez about the possibility of trying to build an indoor swimming pool for the community. He said legislative appropriations would be sought for the project.
Heard a preliminary report from Superintendent Dr. Patricia Rael about enrollment in the Belen Schools. From the 40th to the 120th days of school this year, the number of students enrolled in the district has dropped by 78, from 4,790 to 4,712. Rael said she will present information about where the students transferred at an upcoming board meeting.
"Some have been expelled for violations like bringing weapons or drugs to school," she said. Others have taken the home-schooling option.
OK'd an agreement with the State Department of Transportation for funding to pay for paving at the Teacher Resource Center and a lot across the street from Central Elementary.
Authorized the award of a construction bid for work at Adelino Head Start, a building that the district still owns. The Belen Schools will act as the fiscal agent for the project, which will include new windows, doors and stuccoing.
Approved the purchase of freezers for the Student Nutrition Department at the Support Services Warehouse and La Merced Elementary School.
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