The Garden City Telegram
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Centers provide self-paced education
Published 8/27/2009 in Local News : Education
By MONICA SPRINGER
Janet Anguiano walked into the Deerfield Community Learning Center Wednesday morning, sat down at a computer and began reading chapters and taking notes in world geography.
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Laurie Sisk/Telegram — Dev Bernbeck, one of three coordinators for the Deerfield Community Learning Center, sits near a bank of 10 computers at the CLC, which is part of the Southwest Plains Regional Service Center.
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Monica Springer/Telegram — Janet Anguiano, Deerfield, completes coursework in a world geography class at the Deerfield Community Learning Center. The Deerfield CLC has been open for two weeks and has 15 students enrolled.
She planned to stay for about six hours, she said, working on homework.
The Southwest Plains Regional Service Center opened two new Community Learning Centers in Deerfield and in Holcomb this month after each community expressed a need for the centers.
For adults older than 18 who do not have a high school diploma, they can enroll at the CLCs to complete coursework online and earn a high school diploma.
Those who attend the Holcomb Community Learning Center earn a high school diploma from Holcomb High School, and students who take classes at the Deerfield Community Learning Center earn a diploma from Deerfield High School.
Anguiano said when she attended a traditional high school, she was too distracted to concentrate on tests, lectures and homework and never finished. She said she thought about attending a CLC in Garden City before Deerfield's opened, but said it was too far to drive.
"I was very excited," Anguiano said when she decided to go back to school to earn her high school diploma. "I'm excited to see if I can get a diploma."
Dev Bernbeck, one of the Deerfield Community Learning Center coordinators, said there are 15 students enrolled so far. Students who attend range in age from 18 to 54, he said.
The CLC is an ideal place for people to get their high school diploma, Bernbeck said, because it's laid-back and students can work at their own pace.
Tim McGlynn, coordinator of the Holcomb CLC adult diploma program, said the program is based on performance and not attendance. He estimated that students could finish one course in three weeks if they attend class three hours a day.
Holcomb's CLC has 30 students enrolled, McGlynn said, and between five and 15 will graduate in May.
Students receive credit for their prior high school coursework at the CLCs. Each CLC works with a counselor in the school district to determine which classes students need to complete to receive a diploma, Bernbeck said.
Jon Ansley, Deerfield USD 216 superintendent, said the CLC is an asset to the Deerfield community. The school district received inquiries from community members wanting to receive a diploma but who also held down jobs and had families.
"We saw the need," Ansley said. "We felt like we really needed to get a center started."
The Southwest Plains Regional Service Center provides professional development for the school districts it serves. Bill Losey, principal for the community learning centers, said students who attend the CLCs receive the same type of state funding that students who attend a regular high school receive.
That money goes to the school district, then the district pays the service center for its services.
Jerrod Stoppel, principal of Holcomb High School, said the CLC is an advantage to the Holcomb Community.
"It's an opportunity for someone to go back and get their high school diploma. It's only going to benefit the person in the long run. It also benefits the community," Stoppel said.
The Southwest Plains Regional Service Center, based in Sublette, also has learning centers in Scott City, Montezuma, Copeland, Sublette, Cimarron, Ulysses, Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City.
At your service
Deerfield Community Learning Center
203 E. Sixth St., Deerfield
Phone: (620) 426-7609
E-mail: deerfieldclc@swprsc.org
Holcomb Community Learning Center
303 Wiley St.
Phone: (620) 277-2340
E-mail: holcombclc@swprsc.org
The hours for each Community Learning Center are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday.
On the Web:
Southwest Plains Regional Service Center: www.swprsc.org/
Found 1 comment(s)!
Great Story
Thanks for printing such an uplifting story! It is important to let people know there is a place where they can go to better themselves and they will be welcome. Dev Bernbeck was a PE teacher and coach in Lakin, KS for over 20 years and the people that learn at his center will definitely benefit from his years of experience. He loves teaching and it shows!
Posted by: Joyce Bernbeck on 8/28/2009
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