In 2024, start times for middle school students in grades 6-8 were pushed back to 9:40 AM. Although the bus routes were recalibrated to deliver students to school on time, Mountain View Middle School Principal Brian Peerenboom started seeing students arrive as much as 60-90 minutes early to school, dropped off by parents, probably on their way to work.
But without staff to officially open the building, students had to wait outside the building in the rain and cold, and without any adult supervision.
Beaverton Education Foundation approached the People’s Foundation for Better Opportunities, a local foundation that “creates opportunities for underprivileged people to ascend towards their education success and economic security” to explore ways to support students in Beaverton.
Thanks to financial support from PFFBO, BEF is helping pilot a new program at Mountain View Middle School this year. BEF is providing funds to open the school early and welcome students into the cafeteria where they can work on homework, get a little extra help before classes start, and stay safe and sound.
“Middle school is a critical time for building habits, and many of our students need a little extra structure to thrive. Support through this grant will allow us to make dedicated staff available before school. It allows to meet kids where they are and help them organize assignments, check due dates, and work through whatever hurdles are making school harder for them,” says Principal Peerenboom.
The program kicks off in September and will support two staff members opening the school an hour early, four days a week. Together, BEF and the school will also monitor the impact of this program on student attendance and on-time assignment completion.
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BEF has helped extend the school day to support student academic achievement for more than 15 years. The Safe and Sound for Student Success (S4) after-school middle school program began at one middle school; and BEF helped expand it to all middle schools. This program combines free access to popular extracurriculars, including sports and also activities like robotics, choir, drama, and other activities proven effective in motivating student attendance, boosting grades, and lowering disciplinary problems. With this grant from the People’s Foundation for Better Opportunities, BEF is exploring a new opportunity to see what impact bef0re-school programming can do for attendance, academics, and behavior.
