population is growing at a feverish pace here, and it has been for years, so there isn’t time to wait to develop new programs. These initiatives are a very, very big undertaking, but as the administrative team, and all of our teachers and support staff rally around us, we’re able to get things done that would probably take several years,” Mehalick portrays. A HOLISTIC APPROACH The Hazleton Area School District prioritizes student well-being and has hired additional social workers and developed partnerships with outside agencies to provide mental health services.“If the child’s mind isn’t well, they’re not going to learn academics. So, we kind of throw academics to the wind, when they need social emotional support or mental health support. Those types of situations have to come first, or you may as well just forget about the academics,” Dr. Uplinger acknowledges. He shares a recent win for the district, in bringing year wait because there were 250 schools in front of us vying for it. When they looked at the very high minority student population, and the economically disadvantaged students, they realized that this is a district that could benefit greatly from a JROTC program.” He says that the response has been enthusiastic, and with a waitlist of 70 students for the upcoming school year, the district was prompted to hire a second instructor. “We recognize that time is of the essence, the student Collaborative. Innovative. Personalized. Equitable. Student-Centered. 877-725-4257 solutions@imaginelearning.com imaginelearning.com imagine the future of learning 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 09
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