SBPS Annual Report 2019-20

6 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
Success, Access
and Support
SCHOOL CLIMATE
Positive Partnerships
and Relationships
Transitions
Equitable Educational
Opportunities and Access
Many of you can probably relate, as a
parent or a grandparent (or as anyone
who has children you love in your life), to
the challenges of managing a day when
you needed to engage, entertain, and
care for a few children you love for an entire
day. There are a lot of moving parts.
Depending on the ages and interests of
the children, you’d have to individualize.
Some have skills and talents that others
lack. The challenges vary, but the bottom
line is ensuring each has a great,
productive day.
Such is the work of a school district and
the responsibilities of each of our 500
staff members every school day. There
are a lot of moving parts – most of which
are critically important to ensure that every
child thrives. In order for this to happen,
three key pieces emerge right from
the start – just as they would for the
small group of kids you might be taking
out for a family adventure:
1. Positive relationships and partnerships
- Establish a foundation of
positive relationships with the kids
and bring in others to help make
their experiences more rewarding.
2. Transitions – Help all children prepare
for what’s coming next. Make
sure they’re “ready.”
3. Equitable Opportunities
and Access - Be sure everyone
has the chance to
enjoy every opportunity.
To conclude the analogy, extend
those critical components
of a good day with your
own very special children to
our school district of about
3500 or so students (including
the many newborns and
toddlers we serve). Scottsbluff
Public Schools is now nearly
double the size of any other
school district in western Nebraska (and
in most cases quite a bit more). Furthermore,
SBPS is among a small handful of
regional districts that have grown over
the past five years. In fact with a growth
of almost 600 students over the past decade,
SBPS stands in stark contrast to
the rest of the region which has dropped
over 1300 students in that time. SBPS is
a busy place and getting busier all the
time. Some of you can relate if
your family has been rapidly expanding!
With a guiding Mission of “Every
Child, Every Day,” SBPS continues
to focus on providing an
ever growing and changing
array of services and opportunities
for a constantly changing
school population. We know we
need to remain “agile” as we
adapt. We need to be flexible.
With ongoing attention to conservative
spending (as evidenced by a per pupil
cost of nearly $1700 less than the average
Nebraska school district), SBPS is
continually evaluating and re-evaluating
students’ primary needs and goals
and how the district can adjust and readjust
to those changes. For example, it
is likely no shock to anyone that society
is sending schools very different kids
than those of as little as a decade ago.
It’s commonly understood among educators
here that if we don’t “define” the
culture within our schools, that culture
will define us.
Consequently, this past fall, Scottsbluff
Public Schools competed for and was
“In addition to providing tremendous
opportunities to our students
and our schools, this federal grant is
delivering much of nearly 2.5 million
new dollars directly into our local
economy”
ultimately awarded over $2.3M federal
dollars to “transform” the cultures of our
schools so as to better meet the needs of
our students and community. Primary to
this work is a focus on responding to the
significant needs of children who come
to us unprepared to successfully participate
and learn. Oftentimes, these kids
bounce from one frustrating and dysfunctional
experience to the next and,
Dr. Katie Carrizales of ESU#13 gives an
update on the regional Day Treatment
School progress at the 3E Community
New Years Resolution Event.
on the surface, appear unable or unwilling
to live life any other way. They often
struggle with attendance, engagement,
behavior, relationships and, in turn, academic
and social progress. Many are
often victims of neglect, abuse, mental
illness, physical and emotional disorders,
and other traumatic events in their
lives that, for many adults, are difficult to
fathom. Some have faced unimaginable
tragedy, been exposed to horrible violence,
been abandoned and worse.
This multi-year Climate Transformation
Grant is funding a variety
of “restorative” components that
will help kids regain control of
their lives. For example, any student
consequence for a drug or
alcohol violation will be provided
out-of-school professional counseling.
Students in need of inschool
support will be provided
clear goal setting guidance, mediation,
comprehensive behavior
or safety plans, or a host of other
interventions. Valley Youth Connections
is now a satellite site for
the school district to serve students who
need temporary supports when suspended
or expelled. “Zoom” video cameras
provide kids visual and audio access
to their classrooms when they are out of
the classroom for short term interventions
or consequences. The grant will
fund diversity training and facilitation
of our District Diversity Team. And this is
just the beginning.