Views from Rural NebraskaNational Advisory CommitteeOffice of Safe and Drug Free

CommunitiesJanuary 16, 2007

Presented byDoug Swanson

University of Nebraska – Lincoln402-472-1762

dswanson8@unl.edu

Rural Nebraska

• Adams, population 489• Nebraska: 476 of 617 towns are under

1000 people• Beatrice 13,000 pop. ranks11th largest • 1.7 million people in state• 11 counties in panhandle have 90,000

people

Nebraska School Class Size

• 28 districts – 275 to 650• 33 districts – 80 to 274• 58 districts – 42 to 79• 118 districts – 20 to 41• 70 districts – 8 to19

A snapshot into rural America

• Towns from 2,500 – 20,000 are considered major population areas

• School many times only facility• Safe feeling, lack of acknowledgement

General Rural Issues

• Lack of knowledge about services • Stigma related to needing help• Substitute teachers are scarce

– Effects training of staff• Schools are isolated from parents and

community• Support for teachers necessary

– Including mental health• Therapists are overloaded

Additional General Issues

• Lack of education focus in schools• Communications challenges• Untreated generational problems• Schools left to deal with all issues• Community partners – same people

doing everything• Create own programs vs evidence

based

Safety Concerns

• Bullying• Right person chosen for teams• Readily available law enforcement

– Response time• “Never happen here” syndrome• Ability to comply• Law enforcement turnover

Alcohol and Drug Issues

• “The way it’s done here”• The bar is the community gathering

spot• Drug culture• Family structure• Meth• Parents condone and / or support use

What’s Working

• Awareness and ownership of issues has increased through coalition activity, statistics, planning and grants

• Safe and Drug Free Schools works• Coalitions, growing and working• Grants vital, get communities organized

& started• Trend to mental health support in schools

– social workers are being hired in school– allow teachers to teach– helps with stigma

What’s Working

• Connections made because of grants and government programs– coalitions– safety plans– crisis teams

• Mental health in schools• Meth laws• Data collection• People (caring, dedicated, life long

learners)

Challenges

• No Child Left Behind is a major stressor • Testing and standards instead of

teaching• Grants come, find proven solutions,

boards not making it a priority to continue

• Schools turn down opportunities because of fear of looking bad

Summary

• Sustainability• Grant timing• Community issues – not just school

issues• Coalition building