by HEATHER BREMNER, Staff Writer, Imperial Valley Press 

When the time comes to place the blame, Jimmy Robles knows exactly where his index finger will point.

The 17-year-old, who will begin attending Imperial High School in January after spending a year in the Imperial County Office of Education alternative education program, doesn't blame the group of friends he hung out with in Orange County.

He doesn't blame teenage angst or a set of overzealous or uninvolved parents.

He points at himself for the failing grades, bad attitude and poor attendance that eventually led to his expulsion from the Orange Unified School District.

"It's on the person," Jimmy said.

His parents moved the family to the Imperial Valley to escape what they thought contributed to his bad habits, but during his time at Valley Community School in El Centro Jimmy learned he had to revamp his whole attitude if he wants to succeed in school and life.

After spending a year in the prison-like conditions of the alternative education program, Jimmy is ready to return to the social atmosphere of high school, but this time he's armed with new knowledge and a finely tuned set of motivational tools.

"It's changed my attitude, where now I want to go back to regular schools," he said. "Before we didn't pay attention. We didn't focus."

While teachers, counselors and probation officers helped Jimmy, much of his motivation came from watching his younger brother begin falling into the same quicksand of failure. Lecturing his brother to "stay in school" seemed hypocritical when he hadn't done that, so he decided to get his act together and set a good example for the younger Robles.

Today Jimmy heads straight to a construction job after school. When he's done with work he heads home and finishes his homework.

ICOE-alternative education officials hope to add more success stories like Jimmy's to their files and with the $1.28 million High-Risk Youth Education, and Public Safety grant they were awarded in September, that goal is feasible. The five-year grant, funded by SB 1095 money, will pay for before- and after-school programs, including counseling, at-risk intervention and tutoring for students enrolled in the alternative education program.

The grant will fund programs at Valley Community School in El Centro, Del Rio Community School in Brawley and the Calexico Community School. Without the funds ICOE only would be able to offer the services from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. instead of 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The ICOE and the Imperial County Probation Department collaborated in 1998. When officials from both departments attended interviews in Sacramento on Sept. 10, they presented data illustrating the impact the program has had on these students.

Michael Kelley, chief probation officer for Imperial County, thinks those positive statistics led the California Department of Education to award Imperial County the largest High-Risk Youth Education and Public Safety grant in California.

Since the program's inception, drug use among the at-risk teens in the program has decreased by 18 percent and aggressive behavior by 17 percent, according to the Imperial County Probation Department.

In addition, the number of probation referrals has gone from 5,262 in 1997 to 4,255 in 2002 even though Imperial County's population has increased by more than 10,000, according to the county Probation Department.

Tough love

Students attend one of the ICOE-alternative education programs for two reasons: they have been expelled from their school district or they were court-ordered to the programs. The majority of students simply did not attend classes, received all F's and eventually were expelled.

Still, some have spent time in juvenile hall for various offenses. Initially students who are enrolled in alternative education are placed in the "C-group." For four consecutive weeks they are graded on attendance, behavior and academics. If they manage to have perfect attendance and clean drug tests, they move up a notch to the "B-group," where they're afforded a bit more freedom.

After three weeks in the "B-group" they're moved into the "A-group" and school officials decide when they're ready to return after submitting a clean drug test and stellar attendance.

"At alternative education, freedom is taken away," said Monica Vitela, coordinator of student services for the program. "When you have that freedom at the high school and lose it that's motivation because they want that back."

When the students enter school grounds each day they are searched for drugs. They are given few breaks and are not allowed off campus. Through the program teachers, administrators and faculty teach the students how to make the right decisions, respect authority and change their attitudes.

Such students, who are often shoved to the side and fall through the cracks, just need a little push, said Diego Lopez, director of alternative education for the county.

"In high school they have a lot of freedom. They're not watched closely, so they make bad choices," said Lopez. "Hopefully, after learning to make the right choices, they'll do really well."

Roxie Romero, 16, is a perfect example of how students can abuse that freedom. While attending Southwest and Central high schools in El Centro she rarely went to class and never studied. She preferred to spend her days on the couch, munching chips and watching TV.

"I had bad attendance. I ditched, I played hooky. I was frustrated with school," she said.

The teachers and administrators in the alternative education program have taught Roxie to have more concentration, patience and determination. They encouraged her to get a job and figure out her priorities.

"Now I keep homework my priority. Before my priority was to sit on the couch with my potato chips and be lazy," she said.

To keep herself busy and out of trouble, the stylish teen now funnels her love of fashion into an afterschool job at Hair Inn in El Centro, where she files and sets up appointments. After graduating she plans to attend beauty school.