By Marvin G. Cortner
Editor

A community summit to tackle issues relating to youth – from homelessness to gangs – is in the making for September at the Extension Services building in Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee.

Officially called the Community Youth Crisis Conference, the meeting – set for Thursday, Sept. 2, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. – is being organized by Community Vision with the help of Osceola County Commissioner Ken Smith, a retired history teacher. Issues to be discussed, besides homelessness and gangs, include foster care, juvenile delinquency, child abuse and after-school programs, among others.

“Authorities have identified 14 gangs in our community and they have at least 600 members,” Smith said at Monday’s County Commission meeting. “Hopefully, we can come together as a community to deal with some of these issues.”

“Over 66 percent of our students are on free or reduced lunch, 486 of our kids are in foster care and 1,028 of our children are homeless,” Smith stated in a letter sent to community leaders inviting them to the conference. He also stated that there are at least six youth gangs active in the county and that 1,709 juveniles were arrested in 2008 in the county.

Any agency, institution or organization that deals with youth or has youth members is invited to the conference.

Smith said the conference would bring together faith-based leaders, youth advocates, parents, teachers and community leaders from across the county to discuss youth issues and to “develop priorities and commitments that can improve the lives of children.”

For more information or to register for the event, e-mail Susan Crutchfield at scrutch@communityvision.org or call 407-933-0870.

After-school program to be trimmed
In a related matter, Commissioner John Quiñones said some after-school programs funded by 21st Century federal grants would be discontinued in the coming school year in the Osceola County School District.
In response, Smith said that perhaps the county, the School District and the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud could help fund after-school programs, at least in middle schools, as a way to keep the lid on juvenile delinquency and crime. He said the time between 3 and 6 p.m. is when many young people get into trouble because working parents oftentimes are not available to supervise them.
“Surely the community cares enough to do this,” Smith said, directing the county manager at his earliest opportunity to pose the question about financial support for after-school programs to top staff from the two cities.
Commissioner Michael Harford said the county should look at establishing a “children’s services ordinance’ whereby the county could ask voters by referendum to approve ongoing funding for children’s programs.
“If we don’t provide our children with something to do, someone will – and they are called gangs,” Harford said.
Jo Thacker, county attorney, said it would be too late to include such a referendum on the ballot for either the primary or general election this year.
“The next opportunity would be in two years,” Thacker said, adding that a special election could be held on the issue, however, but at a significant cost.
Thacker also said the time between now and when it is placed on a ballot could be used to educate the community about the proposal and make residents aware of the needs of youth.
According to the School District’s website, schools that offered 21st Century programs for the 2009-10 school year were: Boggy Creek, Central Avenue, Michigan Avenue, Mill Creek, Narcoossee and Ventura elementary schools; Discovery Intermediate School and Denn John, Kissimmee, Neptune, Parkway, St. Cloud and Narcoossee middle schools; and Poinciana, Gateway, Liberty, Osceola and Celebration high schools.
According to Dana Schafer, School District spokeswoman, 21st Century funding for the 2010-11 school year is no longer available for Neptune, Denn John, Parkway, and Kissimmee middle schools, Discovery Intermediate School and Boggy Creek Elementary School.
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school programs offer academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities to students and their families during non-school hours (before and after school, weekends and summer recess), Schafer stated in an e-mail. According to Schafer, some of the activities offered include homework assistance, tutoring, reading programs, science and math nights, life skills, drama, music, dance, arts and crafts, fashion design, cooking, music and sports. Classes offered vary by school site.
Students given priority to participate in the program are those who are within the lowest performing quartile of FCAT scores, are homeless, are from low-income or disadvantaged families, are in English for Speakers of Other Languages or Exceptional Student Education classes and students identified in need of improvement.
“The Osceola County School District is continuing to look for alternative funding and program options, in collaboration with our community,” Schafer stated.