Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Program Targets Students at Risk : Education: Santa Clarita high school district would allow potential dropouts to attend class off campus.

High school students who hate their classes and fail several subjects may get to learn off campus and earn money.

The William S. Hart Union High School District and Santa Clarita officials have created the At-Risk Student Partnership Program to interest youths who might drop out. The program allows students to attend two classes a day off campus and then participate in work projects or pursue career opportunities for which they are paid.

“What we’re targeting are the kids we know won’t be successful in high school,” said Michael Allmandinger, Canyon High School principal. “We’re still trying to salvage this young person as a productive person in the community.”

The program begins this fall with 10 incoming ninth-graders from each of Santa Clarita’s four high schools. Families sign a contract with the district, committing the youths to work. Parents must pledge their support and take a parental education course.

Organizers hope to secure jobs from area businesses. By offering instruction off campus, they hope to interest students who usually dislike school.

The idea evolved after city and school officials met a year ago to discuss youth problems.

“It was frustrating, dealing year after year with students who don’t want to be in school and just don’t seem to fit anywhere,” said Allmandinger, who participated in the meeting.

A sample project might involve planting trees at a park. Participants would measure where the trees will go, design a plan for the work, plant the trees and keep a record of their activities. Biology or math lessons could accompany the work effort. Students would be paid at least minimum wage, and a portfolio of their accomplishments would be compiled during the semester.

“We’re going to break out as much as we can from traditional school,” Allmandinger said. “I think what we’ll be using rather than a paper-and-pencils test is an authentic measurement of their performance.”

The At-Risk Student Partnership Program was endorsed this week by both the Hart district board of trustees and Santa Clarita City Council.

The district will provide program instructors, diverting $120,000 in state attendance funds to cover the cost, and the city is to spend up to $150,000 this year and $50,000 per year thereafter for transportation, work stipends and equipment costs.

This is the city’s strongest involvement in educating at-risk youths--an area generally left to schools.

“Typically, municipalities stay in the realm of offering recreation activities to fill time,” said Rick Putnam, city director of parks, recreation and community services. “We’ve both stepped out of our normal roles to see if we couldn’t go a little bit further.”

City leaders hope that by spending funds on this type of program, they can avoid higher costs down the road for law enforcement, vandalism cleanup and imprisonment.

“I think it speaks to the time when agencies can no longer look at these as individual problems,” Putnam said.