By William Croyle
Enquirer contributor

PARK HILLS - The fate of Kenton Central High School has been determined: it's closing.

What remains to be seen is how many of the 84 alternative school students will stay in school after they are mainstreamed back into seven "regular" county schools.

The Park Hills-based alternative school, run by the Kenton County School District, will close in June after 10 years of service. The school served students with various behavior problems and difficult family situations, such as teen pregnancy.

"There was a reason why this place was opened in the first place," said Jennifer Martin, 18, of Lakeside Park, a student who spoke strongly against the closing at a board meeting.

"There will always be kids like this, always teen pregnancies, always kids that can't conform," Martin said. "It will be interesting to see how many of these kids will still be in school next year. I can put money on it that half of them won't be."

The school board voted unanimously last month to close Kenton Central and Visalia Elementary School at the end of this school year because of expected cuts in the budget. Though district funding wasn't cut after the passage of the state budget last week, the schools will still close.

Each of the three high schools (Dixie Heights, Simon Kenton and Scott) and four middle schools (Summit View, Turkey Foot, Twenhofel and Woodland) will have a "school within a school" program to absorb Kenton Central students.

Martin, a student at Kenton Central this past year, had attended Notre Dame Academy, Dixie Heights High School and Holy Cross High School before entering the alternative program. She's done a year-and-a-half of work since September to graduate on time.

But she worries that many of her classmates will never see their diplomas.

Martin's mother, Dinah, does, too.

"I really don't know where these kids will go, especially the ones who have babies," she said. "I just know some of them who would make it aren't going to make it now."

Administrators say they can replicate Kenton Central in mainstream schools.

"We plan to take the positives from Kenton Central, which has been a great school, and embody those into seven different schools in the district," said Peter Lefaivre, assistant superintendent of Kenton County schools and former principal of Kenton Central.

"We are not walking away from this type of student at all. We are very committed to them," he said.

Kenton Central's independent study program allowed students to work at their own pace and recover credits they may have lost after falling behind in a regular school. It also offered an on-site daycare facility, which will be moved to Simon Kenton High School in Independence.

A "school within a school" program has been in place at Dixie Heights High for the past five years. It serves more than 40 students during the day and about 100 students after normal school hours. Dixie Heights will take in 22 students from Kenton Central next year.

An instructional aide and special education teacher will be hired there, as will three additional counselors.

Judy Clements has been the full-time aide for the program since 1997.

In her class, students work at their own pace while she offers individual help. She sees no problem with taking on more students, but says it will be up to the students to give the program a chance.

"If you want something to work badly enough, it will work for you," she said. "The tools are here, we're here, and we'll do the best we can for you."