Program pays students to stay in school

TUCSON, Ariz. — Chosen randomly from a pool of students who live in "poverty-stricken areas," 175 juniors from two high schools will be paid up to $25 a week this fall for going to class, officials said.

The program, dubbed the "First Job Project," will continue for three years, with a goal of preventing students who live below the poverty level from dropping out of high school, said Lou Barsky, whose newly formed nonprofit organization, Youth Education Security Inc., is behind the effort.

Barsky said the pilot project will cost more than $1 million — and all of the money will come directly from him and his family. No funds will come from the school systems involved.

"A student who might have had to choose a job over going to school might now be given the hope to stay in school because of this program," he said. "I'm not trying to say $25 is $1 million, but that's not what is important. What's important is the hope we're giving to students who are living in poverty."

The first group of students in the program will be made up of 100 Rincon High School juniors and 75 juniors from Amphitheater High, said Tucson Unified School District Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer. Next year, when the students move into their senior year, they'll continue to receive the stipends, and a new group of juniors also will receive the funds, he said.

The Arizona Department of Education reports that 22 percent of Rincon students didn't graduate in the 2005-06 school year, the most recent year available in state data, while 24 percent didn't graduate at Amphitheater High that year.

The project seems to have broad support, but some people could see questions arising, said Steve Courter, president of the Tucson Education Association, TUSD's teachers union.

"I'm sure there are a few teachers that would find it distasteful that they're paying students to do what they should be doing anyway, but that would be their personal opinion and not an opinion of the TEA," he said. "It ($25) doesn't seem like very much to me, but it may be enough to motivate some students and keep them from dropping out. It will be interesting to see how it all works out and how effective the pilot really is."

For each semester students maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and perfect attendance, they'll receive a $100 bonus, Barsky said.

Students will see decreases in their biweekly checks if they have unexcused absences from class, serve any suspensions or fail to pass any classes, he said.

Students who receive checks each week and receive bonuses could receive as much as $1,200.