Citizen's Academy: Parents, residents learn how Fr

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FREEHOLD — From budgets to athletics, recycling to testing, borough residents are able to look at everything that goes into making their school district run.

To provide the community with an in-depth understanding of the district's operations, the Freehold Borough school district began its first-ever Citizen's Academy last month.

Paid for through federal No Child Left Behind grant funds, the six-session program ends on March 18. A graduation ceremony will be held on April 7.

"We thought this would be a good initiation" for people who want to learn how the district works, said Schools Superintendent Elizabeth O'Connell.

The program began on Feb. 5. The general format has offered presentations from speakers on several different facets of the district, including its demographics, state regulations concerning budget and policies, early childhood programs and how students are prepared for testing. Guests also have received tours of the district's three schools, and O'Connell said they have been assigned activities like developing and prioritizing a budget.

"The Whole Child"

During the fourth session, held March 4 at the Park Avenue school complex, speakers concentrated on what organizers called "The Whole Child — Not Just Half."

Participants in attendance that night sat at four long tables in the complex's gymnasium, some taking notes or leafing through binders given to them for the program.

The roughly three-hour session that night began with a discussion by DARE officer Ronnie Steppat Jr. on drug awareness and gang programs in the district, touching on

Kim Predham: [phone] or [e-mail]

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I have made brief mention of this program in other threads. I had hoped to reserve discussion until an article came out in the paper. During the last session I attended, the APP was there with a camera and interviewing the participants of the academy. I am sorry to see the write up is such a small blurb. The APP really could have done a lot more on this.

I have really enjoyed this program. We have one session left and it has all be very informative. My own knowledge of the schools has been mostly from two things, what I read in the papers and what I see in my tax bill, which usually causes a flood of four letter words to flow from my mouth. ( To Fiber: I learned all those words from public education! ;D )

The staff of the schools really did an outstanding job. Their dedication and time they put into this program was well worth it, from my point. I hope they continue to do something along these lines, even if it is not as extensive.

Although I have been a heavy critic of public education in general, often causing some heated discussion with Fiber, even I have to recognize the importance of schools to a community. I have never doubted that. This program showed so much. From the many obstacles and challenges the schools face all the way to how good and thorough they are.

I have heard from many parents that their kids are getting great educations from the schools. After seeing what I have, there is no doubt in my mind that the education aspect is very good.

If the schools continue this program, I highly recommend that people attend. Especially those who have little ones on the way.