Alternative school asks former grads to return

When the Toppenish School District's EAGLE Alternative School first opened in November 1988, the aim was to give students at risk of not finishing school a path to a diploma.

Now, 20 years later, school officials are inviting all past graduates to return to this year's commencement ceremony to be recognized for reaching that goal.

"We want it to be a proud moment," said Dell Gere, the school's principal.

The school, which stands for Educational Alternatives and Guidance in Learning Experiences, started as an
effort to reach pregnant teens, teen parents and students who dropped out of school. At the time the school district's drop-out rate was about 50 percent. That figure has since dropped to 5.4 percent for the 2005-06 school year, the most recent year for which data is available.

The school's goal remains the same.

In its 20th year, school officials want this year's graduation ceremony to be part recognition and part inspiration to current and future students of the school.

The ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. June 3 at the Heritage Cultural Center Theater. The school's first principal, Marion Yeager (her last name was Licano at the time) will deliver the keynote address.

For more information, contact the school's secretary Mary Dale at 865-8231 or Gere at 949-1854.