By Dr. Bob Stepaniak, Superintendent of North Branch Area School District

As schools try to figure out ways to keep programs running, there are some who believe that encouraging more adults to volunteer in our schools will be the answer.
To be sure, volunteers add a great deal to our schools and assist teachers in many ways. Unfortunately, volunteers seldom can make the degree of commitment necessary to keep our programs going.

We have found that volunteers help us a lot in specific situations that are almost always one-time events. Chaperoning on field trips or helping with holiday programs are the kinds of events that parents are willing to take a vacation day for. Beyond that, it gets very difficult.

Finding time to tutor a student a couple of times each week is almost impossible while supervising a playground every day at noon is impossible.

We are fortunate to have a few retired folks who come regularly and help with our younger children and, in the past, we have had some volunteer coaches who were there every day. But those are exceptions. Volunteering on a daily basis does not fit into the schedules of most of us.

We certainly want to encourage parents and grandparents to help out in our schools when it works for them and for our staff. But donít think that volunteers will be able to save or expand our school programs. The time commitment is almost always too great for this to happen.

Parents and grandparents presence at special events helps them to run smoothly and provides a safer environment for our students. We will have literally hundreds of adults volunteer in our schools again this year and we are grateful for all they do.

The School News column will be taking a holiday break with the students this year, check back on Jan. 5, 2005 for the next bit of news from North Branch Area Public Schools!

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