November 30 th, 2009
By Capi Lynn, Statesman Journal
When McKay High School was removed from the “persistently dangerous” list, there was no pep assembly, no celebration of any kind in the classrooms or hallways.
Sure, administrators and teachers were thrilled, and most of all relieved.
“It is good — I’m not going to lie — to get that label taken off our back,” dean of students Hector Villalobos said.
But at the same time, some were disappointed.
“We are the same school as we were with the label,” drama teacher Tiffany Carstensen said.
Being on the list the past two years — for exceeding the maximum rate of expulsions for violence and weapons — had become an odd sense of pride on campus.
“It kind of united the students, in a way,” senior Curtis Everetts said during a round-table discussion with student government representatives.
“If you think about it,” junior Eric Pham said, “we expel because we’re trying to get rid of the problem, so shouldn’t that be a good thing rather than a bad thing?”
Of course, everyone knew being labeled “persistently dangerous” didn’t help the school’s image.
McKay already had a bad reputation in the community, a reputation that wasn’t always deserved.
Photo Gallery: Click here to see more photos of McKay High.
“I just don’t think the reality there matched what the perception was,” said Raymond Byrd, security manager for Salem-Keizer School District and the school resource officer at McKay in the 2000-01 academic year.
“I never fed into the perception of McKay as being any kind of a problem school,” Byrd said. “I think McKay was a good school then and is a good school now. I wouldn’t have any reservations with my own kids going to McKay.”
Perceptions questioned
When Cynthia Richardson became principal seven years ago she was shocked to hear all the talk about McKay being such a bad school. She had worked at a high school in Texas where danger had a much different meaning.
“I had a girl shot while I was on bus duty,” she said.
There is violence at McKay, but on a much smaller scale.
Richardson admitted McKay probably has more fights than other high schools in the district and as a result, takes a tougher stance on fighting.
Students are suspended for five days after their first infraction and can be expelled after two fights, stiffer consequences than the district’s suggested guidelines.
During one of the Statesman Journal’s many visits to campus, about two weeks after McKay was removed from the “persistently dangerous” list, Villalobos was busy dealing with the fallout from a fight between two female students that took place right after school and in front of the building.
“We come off the dangerous list, and this,” said Villalobos, who was in between meeting with parents of the students involved and tracking down videotape from school security cameras.
Security is taken seriously at McKay, as it is at every Salem-Keizer high school. Each school has a security camera system. The systems vary in terms of the number and location of cameras.
Byrd said McKay doesn’t have the biggest or best security system because of past issues or because there is more of a need.
“Every piece of security that McKay has,” he said, “I can point to it at another school in terms of the quantity and the way it’s being used.”
Byrd has access to the video feeds at each school. If an investigation is needed, he no longer has to go to a school to view tapes.
The purpose of security cameras is not just to monitor what happens inside and outside the school, he said, but to keep track of who’s coming into the building and to protect the infrastructure and property.
Each school is assigned a school resource officer from Salem Police. Officer Grant Davis is a good fit for McKay because he speaks Spanish, and nearly half of the school’s student population is Hispanic.
“I do believe his presence and the work he’s done has made a difference,” Richardson said.
Villalobos said the majority of McKay’s discipline problems revolve around attendance, but weapons and drug/alcohol violations — for which the school and the district have a zero-tolerance policy — do occur.
Through the first eight weeks of school, he had confiscated one weapon (a pocket knife). Twice in one recent week he smelled alcohol on a student’s breath.
The students in cases like these are not necessarily expelled. Upon the recommendation of a school administrator, a student may be given the option to participate in the district’s diversion program, which includes attending diversion classes or treatment and completing at least 12 hours of community service.
McKay has expelled two students so far this year, according to district records. Only one other high school, McNary, has expelled fewer. South Salem has expelled a district-high eight students.
Student body is diverse
Many believe at the root of McKay’s reputation is its diverse population — 64 percent of its students are non-white — but it is that cultural diversity that appeals to so many of its students.
“They’re very accepting, and they don’t stereotype you,” senior Mariela Cisneros said of her fellow students. “It’s not all about money and what you wear and what you look like. They take you for who you are inside. They don’t look at color or race or religion. They just look at you.”
McKay has no more of a gang problem than any other high school. Officer Davis recently was called off campus to assist with a gang incident at North Salem High School.
“There’s different issues at every school,” said Lt. Dave Okada, who oversees the resource officer program for Salem Police. “It’s really comparing apples and oranges.
“All of our high schools are very busy.”
Incoming freshmen are usually well-versed on the Royal Scots’ reputation, whether they hear about it from older siblings or friends.
Michael Vasquez, now a junior, remembers being nervous that first day of school.
“Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, McKay’s the ghetto; McKay’s the worst place,’ and this and that,” he said.
He quickly learned during the freshman orientation program that there was no reason to be scared or intimidated.
McKay is proud of that orientation program, which is steered by upperclassmen and rolls out the red carpet for the freshmen each year.
“That’s a big thing,” junior Ivan Jeronimo said. “Just by showing McKay’s a welcoming place, and you can feel safe here. And all the activities we do, like ‘Mix It Up,’ break those stereotypes.”
Student leaders organized a “Mix It Up” event a couple weeks ago. During lunch in the Commons that day, students were asked to sit with a new crowd of people. The event encouraged students to cross social boundaries and make new friendships.
Community service pursued
Beyond the Commons, the hallways and the classrooms, McKay is constantly making an effort to sway the community’s opinion of the school.
“A lot of what we do as a student government is to improve our image in the community,” Everetts said. “Like throwing a senior citizen breakfast.”
Each year McKay invites area senior citizens to a breakfast on a Saturday morning. This year’s event is Dec. 12.
Members of the National Honor Society last year spent time after school spiffing up the grounds. Senior Diana Salazar said cleaning up the school’s image starts at “home.”
Smaller, less noticeable efforts are made each day at McKay, such as Principal Richardson flashing a thumbs-up at a female student walking toward her in the hallway the first day of school.
Richardson wasn’t telling the girl “way to go” but “pull up your shirt.” Wearing a low-cut shirt is a violation of the school’s dress code.
The staff works hard to create a respectful environment, which they hope translates beyond campus boundaries.
“I want people to see McKay as a school they would send their student to,” Richardson said. “A school with high expectations for students, high-quality curriculum and instruction, and an outstanding staff, and that we truly care about our kids.”
Being removed from the “persistently dangerous” list doesn’t really change anything at McKay. As drama teacher Tiffany Carstensen said, McKay is the same school today as it was two months ago or two years ago.
Teachers and administrators will continue to be diligent about creating a safe learning environment for their students.
The students will continue to be proud of their school, no matter what people might think of it.
“We’re not different from any other high school, except for that label,” Pham said. “I think that even helped with our image. We’re more well known now, aren’t we?”
clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6710
