Jenks Alternative Center Students Lobby State Lawmakers

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Some Green Country teenagers take their funding pleas directly to the ones holding the purse strings.

The News On 6 first reported Sunday night about a group of extraordinary students determined to save their school from the budget axe.

2/21/2010  Related Story: Jenks Alternative Center Students Take On The State Legislature

On Monday, they headed to the state capitol to lobby lawmakers face to face.

In between sessions and meetings, Oklahoma's lawmakers got an education. But the lesson plan was focused on a special brand of schools and for some they're a lifesaver.

"It did. It did save me. There's no doubt about it," said Spencer Herrera a senior at Jenks Alternative Center or JAC.

A difficult family situation left Herrera falling behind in school. He was at risk of giving up.

"I'm a senior and without this school I probably wouldn't be able to graduate. And I probably wouldn't be a senior this year, if I didn't have this place," said Herrera.

Herrera and his classmates heard about the looming state budget cuts and decided to exercise their civic duties and write their lawmakers to convince them to spare alternative education.

"Each day that I come to school, I'm ecstatic to be here. I'm not just coming to school. I'm coming to my second home," said Ashley Osborn, a JAC junior.

"Since my enrollment this school year, I've not only become a better student, but a better person," said Joshua Cotto, a JAC sophomore.

Instead of just setting up a booth to talk about their school, they went door to door to deliver their letters and lobby lawmakers face to face.

"We both have children and without alternative, I don't think we could have made it through the high school," said Briana Ward, a JAC senior.

Programs like JAC are partially funded from state grants and State Superintendent Sandy Garrett says that money is in danger.

"This program will probably be cut. To what extent is uncertain at this point," said Garrett.

The students foray into lobbying seemed to make an impression, but whether alternative education makes it into next year unscathed remains to be seen.

JAC gets a $157,000 grant from the state. That pays for three to four members of their nine-member teaching staff. And that's why the principal says any cuts to that grant program could be pretty devastating.