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School works on image, new home
By KELLY RYAN GILMER, Times Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG -- Max Berk is eager to correct misperceptions about Lealman Intermediate School, a place he describes as simply "awesome." It is not, says the seventh-grader with a firm handshake, a place for troublemakers. Lealman Intermediate is a dropout prevention program for fifth- through eighth-graders. In a county where middle schools have 1,200 students or more, Lealman has only 400. Classes have no more than 19 students, and the school has a social worker and psychologist for support. "All the teachers are awesome," said Max, 12, who eagerly opens doors for school visitors and is poised sitting at a conference table with his principal, two assistant principals and his father. "If you need help, you don't see one teacher who says, "Wait a second.' They're right there." Max and his father, Richard Berk, the School Advisory Council chairman, have become passionate spokesmen for Lealman Intermediate in recent discussions about where the school belongs. Lealman needs a new home. Not only is its building in disrepair, but Pinellas school transportation officials want the land at 4100 35th St. N to build a bus compound in time for the controlled choice plan to begin in 2003. The first idea was to move Lealman to Tyrone Middle School, and then assign Tyrone's students to several other St. Petersburg campuses. Tyrone protested, and School Board members backed off. Then, board members suggested relocating Lealman to Azalea Middle School, a new facility with some extra space. But Azalea and its neighbors protested, in part because of some confusion about Lealman and its students. New proposals and partnerships are emerging. A committee studying the issue is ready to recommend that Lealman move to the Pinellas Technical Education Centers' St. Petersburg campus in 2005-2006, a proposal presented to the School Advisory Council, or SAC, last week. If Lealman stays put for three more years, transportation director Terry Palmer said, buses would be parked temporarily on a grass lot presently used for physical education classes. But what do Lealman advocates want? They want the public to understand the program, and they want their own campus where they can set the tone. So, as the district studies the PTEC option, school officials and parents are doing their own research to come up with some "unorthodox" alternatives. At the suggestion of some neighborhood activists, Lealman is exploring whether the School Board should seek historic status from the city and renovate the existing buildings. Only one other school in St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg High, has that distinction. It would make Lealman eligible for some grants, though probably far less than would be needed. This month, the Council of Neighborhood Associations will host a public symposium in Lealman's auditorium so the school can show off its program. Florida Power is donating up to $1,000 to mail fliers about the event. Mayor Rick Baker is expected. Wherever Lealman ends up, activist Steve Plice said the community needs to learn that Lealman is not a discipline school but one for students who need individual help and a nurturing environment to succeed. He personally thinks the historic designation holds some promise, raving about the school and its auditorium, built in 1926. "One of the things that makes the Lealman school successful is that they have their own campus and they're able to create their own environment and a culture that is vastly different from another school," said Plice, who recently visited. "If they're at Azalea or at PTEC, they can't control their environment." No date has been set for the School Board to decide Lealman's future. Lealman serves students south of Ulmerton Road; another program is housed in Clearwater. Students who are failing, have been retained or might be, have low test scores or grades, or have been frequently absent from school can apply to attend. Once students get their skills up to grade level, they return to their zoned middle school or to a traditional high school. Students with chronic discipline problems are kicked out. Students and parents say it's the one-on-one teaching and nurturing environment that make a difference. Students have access to tutors and mentors. They get intensive reading and math instruction, which is already paying off for students such as Max, whose reading level has jumped six grades. Linda Snyder is amazed by the progress of her son Shea, 13, who has attention-deficit disorder. Shea has four classes a day, instead of six or seven, which enables teachers to get to know him well. As he has brought home good report card after good report card, his self-esteem has climbed. "Shea would be swallowed up and spit out at a regular middle school," Snyder said. "He comes home glowing because he's doing so well." Statistics support the program's anecdotal evidence of success. Principal Glenn Bailey said 94 percent of students who attend one of the intermediate programs graduate from high school. "The kids feel safe here," said Ken Ward, the volunteer coordinator and PTA president who enrolled his daughter this year. He has seen her attitude improve and her interest in reading increase. Berk, the SAC president, is determined to find an alternative to the PTEC proposal. The space, used now by a Gibbs High School program, is adequate but poses numerous logistical problems. Parents are worried that their students would end up mixing with the high school and adult students Gibbs and PTEC serve. They worry about middle school students having to cross busy 34th Street S to use Gibbs' art and physical education facilities. Cathy Athanson, an area superintendent, said the PTEC facility is in excellent condition, with private entrances and a bus circle. She thinks Lealman's program could be accommodated there, with no danger of mixing with other students at PTEC. And an unanswered question: What should the school do in the meantime? Lealman has termite damage and moisture trapped in the walls, causing mildew and mold. Some teachers have complained that the conditions are causing respiratory problems. Dehumidifiers have been brought in and carpet has been replaced, but the fact remains that the building needs serious and expensive repairs. School officials don't know how much money the district would spend to maintain the building if it is to be torn down eventually. Max, for one, doesn't like the PTEC proposal. "We are a family," he said. "If we go to PTEC, it's going to tear the family apart."
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
