Marsing Embraces the Community School Strategy
Superintendent
Norm Stewart had a vision. It had been brewing for a few years. He’s led the
Marsing School District for the last seven years as superintendent. Prior to
that he served as the secondary principal in the district for a year. He moved
to Marsing in 2012 from a small school district in Eastern Oregon where he had
been the K-12 principal for twelve years. While working in the Echo Oregon School
District, a small rural school district south of Hermiston, Stewart experienced
what it was like to have local non-profit organizations, law enforcement, and
social workers volunteer to work with the disadvantaged students and families
in his school. Stewart brought those experiences with him to Marsing, a small
rural district in Idaho that lies along the banks of the Snake River. He has
always believed that, “schools are the centers of their communities” and that
they can and should be at the center of student achievement as well as a
resource for students and families in need.
Marsing
has embraced the Community Schools Strategy, a concept based on the idea that
students learn best when their physical and emotional needs are met. Many
students and their families find it hard to access services that provide for
their most basic needs. Students in these situations find it hard to attend
school regularly, complete homework, and otherwise participate fully in the
educational experiences schools provide that most people believe are essential
to economic prosperity and security in a free society.
Marsing,
Idaho has a population of just over 1,200 residents. The school district has an
enrollment of 853 students, 41% of whom are Hispanic, and 16% who are English
Language Learners, student groups that historically perform below their peers.
Marsing also has a significant level of poverty. Sixty three percent (63%) of
Marsing students are eligible for the federally subsidized Free and Reduced
Lunch program. There is a labor camp in Marsing, so many of their families are
transient and leave to work in other parts of the country for parts of the school
year. The median family income in Marsing is $29,670. That compares to the
median income of $56,798 in Boise, just 32 miles away.
Schools
who adopt the Community Schools Strategy seek to establish partnerships with
local entities that can provide support and services for students and their
parents on school grounds, an easily accessible location for families.
Superintendent Stewart, the Marsing Board of Trustees, and the staff of the
district have done just this, establishing important partnerships to provide vital
services with many local agencies such as The United Way of the Treasure
Valley, Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC), Idaho
Food Bank, St. Alphonsus Medical Group, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Terry Reilly
Health Services, WICAP Project Launch, WICAP Head Start, Owyhee County
Sheriff’s Office, Koenig Vineyard and Distillery, Lizard Butte Public Library,
Marsing Lion’s Club, Logan’s Market, City of Marsing, and many more.
The
Marsing School District has worked with its partners to provide extended day
kindergarten, preschool (available on a sliding scale for parents), a food
pantry, health and dental screening, mental health services, housing and
utilities support, an afterschool and summer program that provides meals and
tutor support and enrichment activities for its elementary and middle school
students, and more.
With the
passage of a $13.5 million bond to build a new middle school in Marsing, the
district was able to convert the old middle school building into a community
center that houses the district office, the district’s preschool program, the
Head Start preschool, a food and clothing pantry, a substation for the county
Sheriff, and space to provide community and parent education courses.
Superintendent
Stewart, Board Chair Brad McIntyre and the other Marsing trustees were able to
finance the new school without raising property taxes by retiring an existing
bond and ending an annual supplemental levy. Those moves, supported by their
patrons, allowed the district to further develop their Community School
Strategy and locate it in a facility managed by the school district. They
convened a meeting of potential partners this last November. Led by Jackie
Yarbrough with the Idaho Food Bank, Christa Rowland with the United Way and Erika
Lewis with IAEYC, the district was able to identify the community and school
district needs and identify partners that could help bring the needed resources
to Marsing.
So, a
vision that began with the desire to serve students and their families in ways
that will allow students to come to school “ready to learn”, strengthen
connections for students and their families with their school and community, provide
access to basic services for those in need, has blossomed in Marsing at a new community
center known as The HUB.