Local School Sends Suspended Kids to Church

http://www.digtriad.com/
Tracey McCain


Greensboro, NC - When you're suspended from Smith High School, you don't go home. You go to church.

Smith's principal and the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church took the unique approach to keep kids learning and out of trouble while they're suspended.

"We saw that since they were out of school anyway they were just going to be at home. So we wanted to fill a component where they can just come to church," said Pastor Howard Woods.

Less than two miles from Smith High School, students who are suspended from three to fifteen days participate in the Stay Up While You're Out program.

Woods says the reasons for suspensions vary. "They're just overall minor infractions for being late to class, or just not making good decisions," said Woods.

Being at the church is not a day off from school. Retired teachers, who are also members of the church, work with suspended students going over the same lessons they would have learned in class.

"Once they open up and know we care, they're really smart kids," said Woods.

The Stay Up While You're Out program's goal is just that -- to keep kids from lazing around the house during suspensions.

"They'd be watching TV or sleeping or getting in trouble" said Woods. "Giving parents another option to have their child here has been working out real good."

In the last month Woods says the program has reduced suspensions and increased attendance at Smith. "We'd like to see zero kids participating," he said. "We're already getting calls from grandma's that want to know what can they do to help my child."

The church received a $106,000 grant from the North Carolina committee on dropout prevention.

The money will keep the program running through next year.


Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. Job 34:4 NIV