Kyrene District to cut many prevention programs

The Kyrene School District will see drastic cuts, if not outright elimination, of much of its prevention programs and personnel next year.

The cuts are the result of the end of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, a federal grant that provided the district with about $8 million over four years to help establish and maintain alcohol, drug and violence prevention programs, early childhood development programs and student mental health services.

It’s unclear exactly which programs will be cut, but almost all prevention programs are threatened, said Samantha Heinrich, Kyrene’s assistant director of prevention services.

“Right now everything is under the ax,” said Heinrich, whose position will be eliminated as a result of the cuts. “I’m hoping by next week we’ll have a better idea of what (programs) we can keep and what we can’t.”

She added, “Everything is going to be affected.”

The loss of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative was inevitable, said Karin Smith, the district’s federal grant coordinator.

“We weren’t eligible to reapply (for the grant),” Smith said. “Districts aren’t allowed to receive it twice; it’s very competitive. The year we got it only 13 districts in the nation got it too.”

Smith said the grant was first applied for and received in August 2003, and was initially intended to be a three-year grant. The district was able to use stretch grant funds to pay for a fourth year.

She said not all prevention efforts will be done away with, since materials, staff training and other aspects of certain programs were already paid for by the grant and will remain in Kyrene. One such program is the district’s primary anti-drug program, Project ALERT, which will continue.

“The materials and curriculum resources, those we still have,” Smith said, adding that the loss of Safe Schools/Healthy Students dollars will be apparent for students in coming years.

“There are definitely programs being cut,” she said. “We will definitely see a difference in our prevention efforts next year.”

At the district’s Tuesday night board meeting, a list of 12 district office employees were identified as having their contracts expire June 29. These contracts will not be renewed, with “grant funding ended” as the reason listed.

“The prevention team is all of the people on that list,” Smith said. “Our prevention programs are primarily funded through that grant.”

Certain to be affected, Heinrich said, will be district anti-bullying efforts, such as the series of parent training seminars hosted by prevention specialist Cara English earlier this year. English’s position will be eliminated.

“As far as staff resources, to be able to implement parent training and workshops, we will not have that,” Heinrich said.

One non-prevention position eliminated will be the district’s official spokesperson, which was funded by excess monies from the grant. Jenn Grentz, Kyrene’s primary point of contact for media outlets and concerned community members, will also leave the district June 29.

Smith said the district was looking for ways to compensate for Grentz’s departure, but no solid ideas were on the table yet.

“(Superintendent) David (Schauer) is very aware, and he’s approaching what he’s going to have to do to maintain a strong presence in the media and with the community.”

Heinrich said the district will be able to classify some programs as extracurricular activities, allowing them to be funded through tax credit benefits and charitable contributions. Apart from that, though, she said the only real hope to save the programs would be the Kyrene Schools Community Foundation (www.kyrene.org/kscf).

“That’s what our best hope to sustain these services will be,” Heinrich said. “It certainly won’t help for next year, but hopefully if it gets a little exposure we can bring some of these programs back in the future.”

Jason Ludwig can be reached at (480) 898-7916 or jludwig@aztrib.com.