Healthier families, safer schools - Tahlequah Public Schools

School Administrator, March, 2003

To address rising incidences of drug use, truancy and violence among the youth of Cherokee County Okla., Tahlequah Public Schools developed a partnership that led to the district being awarded The Civic Star Award for 2003.

The Safe Schools Program initiative began with the school district hosting a community coalition meeting attended by representatives from many local agencies to discuss the problems among the county's youth.

Assistant Superintendent Billie Jordan, then a principal in the district, led the schools in forming a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Tahlequah, the district attorney sheriff, chief of police, two local judges, Bill Willis Mental Health center and Northeastern State University. The goal was to work together to help solve the problems.

Jordan developed and submitted two grant proposals to the U.S. Department of Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools. In 1999, the district was awarded the Safe Schools' Healthy Students Intitiative Grant and the Middle School Coordinators Program. Working through the district attorney four school resource officers were hired to work full time within the district's schools.

The officers assist with discipline problems, serve as a liaison among law enforcement agencies and the school district, deliver class presentations to students, track down truant students and work with them and their parents to keep the children in school.

District Attorney Diane Barker-Harold worked with the district's school safety director, Gary Rozell, and county school administrators to establish a truancy court, which convenes twice monthly and is designed to help families overcome the barriers that lead to truancy.

Bill Willis Mental Health provides three preventionists to the district who work full time implementing prevention and intervention programs within the schools. The preventionists and two middle-school coordinators implemented an anti-bullying program that has been replicated throughout the state. They were also instrumental in getting the state legislature to pass a bullying bill.

TO LEARN MORE CONTACT:

Paul Hurst, Superintendent Tahlequah Public Schools

P.O. Box 517, Tahlequah, OK 74465

Phone: 918-458-4100

E-mail: hurstp@tahlequah.k12.ok.us

Web: www.tahlequah.k12.ok.us