The Jordan School District Almost Cut Peer Tutoring Programs
The Jordan School District was about to cut peer tutoring programs at Herriman and Bingham High School causing students to almost have to change schools.
What is peer tutoring? Peer tutoring is a class that you can take here at Herriman High School that allows you to work with the special needs students. You get assigned a buddy and you help them with whatever they need you to do. The kids that are in the class are some of the most spectacular kids you’ll ever meet. They will never fail to put ;a smile on your face.
Peer tutoring is a great class for a high school student, because it gives students the chance to put down the stigma behind individuals with disabilities. The peer tutoring class at Herriman High School is taught by Mrs. Fullmer. Mrs. Fullmer does a great job at running the class she makes in so you really get to create a bond with the student you are assigned too.
The Jordan School District wanted to cut the peer tutoring program and make the students in the program change schools. The kids that were going to Herriman High School would have had to go to Mountain Ridge High School. The kids in the Bingham High School Peer Tutoring program would have had to move to West Jordan High School, and others would go to Riverton
High School whichever one they were closer to.
The Jordan School District wanted to cut the programs and change the kids’ schools because of the lack of number of disability kids going to Herriman and Bingham High School. They wanted to use peer tutoring programs money for other things and since the numbers at Herriman and Bingham were so low, they wanted to cut those peer tutoring programs in part.
Parents and students were not happy about this. Right as this news came out to the public a petition got started and ended up with over 30,000 signatures to keep the programs where they are. Sahara Bass, a Sophomore at Herriman High School, says, “I love getting the opportunity to work with these kids. They are truly what brightens my day.” Parents of the kids in the program were not happy about their kids having to switch schools again. Some parents were saying their kids have had to move up to 5 schools now starting from elementary to high school, because the programs keep getting moved around and canceled.
Good news though with the petition and the fight of the community The Jordan School District has decided to not cancel the programs at Herriman High School and Bingham High School. The students in the program are thrilled that they don’t have to move schools, and they can stay with their friends and teachers. So is everyone else at the school. I asked a group of students how they felt about the peer tutoring program getting to stay at Herriman High School? The Students said “we are very happy the peer tutoring program gets to stay. We love getting to know those kids.”