LPOHS mulls grant uses

SANDPOINT — New Lake Pend Oreille High School principal Geoff Penrose has an unusual challenge as he prepares for his first academic year in the big office.

With nearly $1 million in federal school improvement grants to utilize, Penrose has an abundance of resources to help improve the alternative high school — a rarity for schools serving at-risk students.  

“This is a very different situation to be in for sure,” Lake Pend Oreille School District Superintendent Shawn Woodward said.

Since the grant is designed to improve performance in struggling schools, Penrose has a variety of ideas about how to achieve significant gains. Penrose organized the various projects into several categories, including professional development, learning extension partnerships with other organizations, technology enhancements and student and staff enhancements.

One of the most important additions the grant will allow is the hiring of a specialist who will create personalized education plans for each LPOHS student. These plans will help the students plan their requirements for high school graduation — and hopefully for plans following high school as well.

The addition of iPad sets to classrooms will be another major feature added through the grant funding. The high school will be the third in the district to achieve a one-to-one ratio between students and computing devices.

Penrose plans to offer LPOHS teachers plenty of training opportunities through the grant as well. Events like the National At-Risk Educators Conference and trips to top-rated alternative schools for observation will provide models and effective practices for local educators, Penrose said.

As for forming learning extensions, the school is partnering up with other organizations like Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education. These partnerships will get students into the natural environment for new learning opportunities. In addition, enrichment activities like ski trips to Schweitzer will provide students with opportunities they might not otherwise be able to afford.

The grant distribution is spread over three years, with $275,000 in the 2013-14 school year, $226,000 for 2014-15 and $211,000 from 2015-16. A second pot of money totaling $231,000 for additional services will also be spread out over three years.

While the changes made possible through the school improvement grant will be extensive, Penrose is excited to be a part of the process.

“I really feel like I’m in the right place at the right time,” he said.