East Chattanooga leaders say they've heard the reports of Orchard Knob Middle School students carrying weapons, drugs and stolen credit cards. They've also heard that the school is out of control.
But area leaders insist the students will improve and the adults will help them do it.
"I know improvement can be achieved," Hamilton County Commissioner Warren Mackey said. "This whole community is on the verge of a turnaround. The churches are stepping up. Neighborhoods are coming together."
Mr. Mackey, whose District 4 covers the Orchard Knob area, was one of nearly 20 community leaders, elected officials and East Chattanooga residents who sat at small tables at the school Friday, vowing to positively influence students by making mentors available to both the kids and their parents.
Parental involvement at the school has been next to nothing, Orchard Knob Middle principal Maryo Beck said.
Members of the group say they plan to start knocking on parents' doors within the next three weeks to increase involvement at the school, said James Moreland, chairman of the East Chattanooga Weed and Seed.
"We're doing whatever we have to do to get them engaged," Mr. Moreland said.
The Weed and Seed is funded by a $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Justice Department and is designed to weed out crime in East Chattanooga while seeding programs to improve quality of life in the area.
Mr. Moreland said the school may schedule parent-teacher meetings on Saturday mornings, if necessary, to accommodate parents who work second shift and can't attend meetings on weekday evenings.
He said he also has talked with churches officials who say they'll provide mentors to young parents.
Members of Second Missionary Baptist Church said they will seek out Orchard Knob Middle students to participate in the church's Project Success program, in which students are taught financial management. They said they'll also take students to visit college campuses.
Mr. Mackey said he would help the community raise funds needed to fill in the gaps toward helping the school.
It is imperative that the group reaches the students, said East Chattanooga Weed and Seed representative Mildred Moreland.
TO PARTICIPATEResidents and organizations interested in volunteering their service to support Orchard Knob Middle School may call the East Chattanooga Weed and Seed office at 752-4449.
"Unless we make a difference in the kids' lives right now, we will be looking at kids that may not grow up to be good citizens just because of all that's going on around them," she said.
The school is on the state's high priority list and must improve its test scores for the next two years to get back into the state's "good standing."
Mr. Beck said he's confident the school will improve.
"I know the kids can do it," Mr. Beck said. "I know they have the ability to do it. We just have to tap into the right resources to get them to where they should be."
Continue reading by following these links to related stories:
Article: Low-income residents could get free phones