At the same time, back in the regular classroom, the rest of the children are free to focus on learning, without disruption. These grants come on the heels of Gov. Ridge s announcement this weekend, in his monthly radio address, that serious juvenile crime in Pennsylvania dropped sharply last year. The news is good, and the trend is encouraging, Gov. Ridge said. But we can never rest when it comes to our children s safety. The Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Program is a key component of Gov. Ridge s landmark safe schools initiative.
Schools can use the funds to remove chronically disruptive students from regular school programs.
Alternative education programs offer specialized instruction and counseling to help disruptive students change their behavior. All school districts, area vocational-technical schools and intermediate units are eligible to apply for grants. Funds are awarded to all eligible applicants on a proportional basis. A second round of grant recipients will be announced in the coming weeks. Last year, Gov. Ridge signed into law Act 48, giving schools another new tool to help them deal with chronically disruptive students.