In an era when education dollars are dwindling and school districts face severe budget shortfalls, every segment of the system has to be scrutinized, evaluated for effectiveness and required to survive on its merits, be trimmed or go away.
During the past two years, the Fort Worth school district has made some tough choices in cutting several programs, projects and some personnel as it has struggled with balancing tighter budgets.One long-lasting program that had been slated for closing this year has survived, primarily because of the outcry of ardent supporters -- teachers, students, parents and community advocates.The Center for New Lives, as its name suggests, is a school serving pregnant and parenting girls. In addition to their academic instruction, the students receive services from a staff that includes a nurse, a psychologist, two social workers and a counselor.New Lives, which has had four different homes in its 40-year history, will head this fall to a fifth location that was selected last week after the school board and administrators wrangled over several other possibilities.The $240,000 lease on its last site at the Resource Connection of Tarrant County was not renewed, prompting discussions about abandoning the program altogether or, at the very least, cutting expenses by relocating it to district-owned property. Some board members rejected the idea of having the program placed at high schools in their districts.The new location will be in a strip shopping center on East Lancaster Avenue that formerly housed an alternative middle school closed last year as part of budget cuts, saving $134,706 in annual rent. Because the lease for New Lives is for one year rather than five, with an option to renew for two more years, the new yearly rent will be $165,000.The main argument against New Lives is that it's too expensive for the number of students it serves. The administration said the program, with a $1.5 million annual budget, accommodates only about one-fourth of the district's pregnant girls. Most attend their home schools, where they receive services. In February, 145 girls in grades six through 12 were enrolled in New Lives.Supporters of the program say most of the at-risk girls in New Lives would not be in school at all if this special place did not exist. If that is the case, it seems an invaluable asset not only to the school district but the community as a whole.It is difficult to imagine a pregnant sixth-grader, and it is even more inconceivable that such a young child could function well in a "regular" school with all the pressures that come at that age and the added anxiety of being an expectant mother. Much the same can be said of a 12th-grader.New Lives, with a student-teacher ratio of 7-to-1 and instruction geared to each student's needs, provides a place for those who have the determination to continue their education despite some overwhelming odds.Still, like all programs, New Lives must be judged by its results, and the board and administration must continue to do that. Its successes must not be exaggerated and any failures should not be sugarcoated.The board has to balance budget concerns with the overall effectiveness of any program. To do otherwise would be irresponsible.But considering the population served by New Lives and the likelihood that this is their last, best chance at an education, perhaps the question should not be whether the district can afford it.The community must ask whether it can afford not to have New Lives.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
