Jan. 6, 2009 — Henry Bietz, superintendent of Westwood School District and principal at Westwood High, recommended the Board of Trustees keep Red River Community Day School open and available to serve students in grades kindergarten through sixth-grade. He made the recommendations at the school board meeting Wednesday, Dec. 17. Before a vote by the board to eliminate the community day school program, Bietz said in his opinion it would be wise to keep one site. These programs are designed for students who do not do well in the classroom due to behavioral or academic issues. He estimated the total cost to the district to keep the building site at about $10,000 in rent and utilities.

If the community day school were available the district could place students there if needed without going through the lengthy application process again.

The elimination of the program was being reviewed as a way to cut costs. Last year the state of California only paid 80 percent of the funding owed the district for operating the program. The expenses for operating the program exceeded the amount of categorical funds received.

Currently special intervention programs, such as the Opportunity Program, offered through the Lassen County Office of Education, provide services for students in seventh through ninth-grade. Students over 16 years of age who get behind academically can make up credits at Horizon High School, an alternative school run by the district.

In an earlier interview Bietz said he had a few students in the lower grades who may eventually need to be enrolled in the community day program.

“Right now they are doing fairly well in the regular classrooms but once I close the door, it is closed,” said Bietz.

As a district, Westwood has used the community day school program for students who often lack socialization skills and do not function well in the regular classroom with a large group of children. To meet academic needs, teachers are able to modify curriculum in class and special education interventions are available.

Should Red River Community Day School need to be reopened, the board of trustees under the supervision of Bietz would evaluate costs before assigning a teacher. Several teachers were laid off at the end of the last school year and would be on the rehire list.

When operating, the community day program receives categorical funding from the state.