Saratoga News

Program can continue, but without its director

School board falls short on funds for Healthy Lifestyles program director

By Cecily Barnes

More than 15 Saratoga High School students showed up at the Sept. 3 Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District board meeting to make an impassioned plea for the continued employment of Pam Dunnett, director of the school's Healthy Lifestyles program.

Healthy Lifestyles, which offers school events such as For Girls Only, For Guys Only, Senior Day, Marathon Day, Health Fair and AIDS Awareness Week, has been led by Dunnett on a near-volunteer basis since its inception four years ago. Although funding for the program is not threatened, the program's growth spurred Dunnett to request compensation last spring--compensation the school does not seem to have.

"I started out a volunteer, and I've ended up a program director, and it's just incredible the amount of time and work I've put in," Dunnett explained. "[But] I don't want this to end up a dollars-and-cents forum. The important thing is that the program exists and continues."

With Dunnett gone, the Healthy Lifestyles group has not met once since the start of the school year. And some students and parents are skeptical of the program's ability to continue without Dunnett's leadership and direction.

"Without Pam we wouldn't have Healthy Lifestyles," one parent said. "Part and parcel of the Healthy Lifestyles program is Pam Dunnett."

"Pam is the only one who can run Healthy Lifestyles," Meredith Houston, 17, said. "The kids have a connection with [her] and feel comfortable talking about drugs and alcohol. That's really rare."

Dunnett said she was flattered but concerned that the attention was too focused on her, and not enough on the Healthy Lifestyles program itself.

"I don't think any program should be set up for one person running it," Dunnett said. "You want a program to be able to run on its own. ...I really want to see the program go on for the kids."

Unable to rustle up the $15,000 requested by Dunnett, Principal Kevin Skelly proposed incorporating the Healthy Lifestyles information into the classrooms, as well as asking various teachers to voluntarily head Healthy Lifestyles events. But students and parents were not assuaged by this proposition.

"I haven't had any incorporation of Healthy Lifestyles in my classes," Houston said. "The point of Healthy Lifestyles is for it to be student-run. If a teacher stands up and lectures, you listen, but it's in one ear and out the other."

Dunnett pointed out that teachers were already swamped coaching teams and heading extracurricular clubs and groups.

"I think [Healthy Lifestyles] definitely needs a paid director," Dunnett said. "The kids need the direction and leadership. I don't think they can be totally driven on their own."

Skelly agreed that there was a need for a program director. However, he said only that he intended to do something, without specifying the details.

"I would very much like to get this solved in the next week or two because the school year has started," Skelly said. "Our community is pretty clear that they want us to address these kinds of issues."

At the Sept. 3 board meeting, it was clear that the community wanted the Healthy Lifestyles program to continue, whatever the price. Parents, teens and even board members explained how important the program was and what it would mean if it were lost.

"I'd hate to see a program that touches so many lives die from lack of a little extra money," said board member Nancy Crampton.

Everyone seemed to agree that Healthy Lifestyles was a wonderful program, and Pam Dunnett a wonderful director, but nothing was resolved.

"Well, we can't do anything about it tonight," one board member concluded.

The issue was left in Principal Skelly's hands. According to Superintendent Tod Likins, it will not be discussed at the next board meeting, nor will it become a district issue. And as it stands now, Healthy Lifestyles can continue, but without Dunnett.