[10/29/04]The topic of over-age students in mainstream courses was revisited by Vicksburg Warren School District board members Thursday. Moving them to vocational programs was touted as an option.

“Over-age kids are not going to be successful in regular academic programs,” said Donald Oakes, District 1 interim board member and a former superintendent of the 9,000-student school district. “We can beat them over the heads with algebra, but that’s not giving them anything they can use. We need to have something available for kids to learn a marketable trade.”

Oakes, who retired last year, made a motion to study the possible transition. As superintendent, he also had a pilot program to address the specific needs of junior high students who were 3, 4 or 5 years older than their classmates.

“We will look into what hurdles are out there and how high we have to jump to meet the needs of our population,” said James Price, district superintendent.

Vocational programs with training in construction crafts, sales and other fields are offered for students who reach the 10th-grade, but not to 17- and 18-year-olds still at at junior high levels.

In the pilot program, launched with help from Hinds Community College, students spent half of the school day working on academics and half in vocational programs. But, Oakes said, that program was unsuccessful because students had to be taken off campus and, because some were not succeeding academically, they were also slack in their vocational work.

He said a facility at the junior high is needed.

The motion to study the issue passed unanimously.

“The whole board supports this,” said Jan Daigre, board president and District 4 trustee. “We are losing kids in the system that don’t make it to the high-school level.”

Overage students are now being taught at Grove Street School, and Price said any new programs would be added to those in place at the school.

District records show 24 overage students who would be enrolled in the junior highs are at Grove Street.