MURPHYSBORO - The American educational system does not come in one size fits all, said Robert Koehn, regional superintendent for Jackson and Perry counties.

Each student has individual needs, and school districts must do what they can to meet them, Koehn said. For the past 10 years, the COPE Alternative School has offered an "alternative route to get back on the beaten path."

The school, which hosted a 10th anniversary celebration Monday, offers a second chance to students who faced suspension or expulsion from their primary school, said COPE Dean of Students Steve Schumacher. Students from all schools in Jackson and Perry counties are eligible for referral to the school.

About 28 different students enroll in the COPE school each year, Schumacher said. Students progress through the school on a four-level scale, with the average student completing stage four and being readmitted to the regular school system within 12 to 18 weeks. If a student was expelled from school, his or her stay at COPE would be a minimum length of the terms of expulsion.

"This is a last chance for some kids," Schumacher said. "If this school didn't exist, they'd be expelled."

Schumacher, who has worked at the school for four years, said it hasn't changed much during its 10-year existence. The regional office of education, COPE faculty and the students have helped to develop "a pretty good program that works," he said.

Koehn became superintendent of the De Soto school district in the summer of 1997, the same time the regional office of education began proposing the idea of COPE school to area administrators. At the time, administrations approached the idea by looking at the needs of students, the primary difference being that some students were prepared for academic challenges, while some needed work on behavioral issues first.

"If you don't meet the different needs, you're going to lose that child," Koehn said.

Chris Grode, superintendent of Murphysboro Community Unit District 186, said facilities such as the COPE school aid districts because "sometimes changing instruction is not enough."

Schools like COPE provide smaller class size, where students receive more attention specialized to their needs, he said.

The COPE Alternative School is based upon laws enacted in 1996 by the Illinois General Assembly that provided for a system of alternative education programs for disruptive students.

adam.testa@thesouthern.com / 351-5031