Drew County
School-Within-A-School Program
(Boot Camp)

The Drew County School-Within-A-School (SWAS) Program is a partnership among the Drew Central School District, the Monticello School District, the City of Monticello, Drew County, the Juvenile Court, the Drew County Department of Human Services, and other community organizations in Drew County, Arkansas. Believed to be one of only a few programs of it's kind in the country, the School-Within-A-School (SWAS) Program exists to provide an alternative to long-term suspension or expulsion of junior high and high school aged students in the Drew Central and Monticello School Districts. Students who otherwise would be removed from school for disciplinary infractions are assigned to the SWAS (also called the "Boot Camp") program during school hours. Students are exposed to a rigorous program of physical training, leadership development, community service and academics in a highly disciplined environment.

The program is staffed by full-time, certified police officers from the Monticello Police Department who also serve both school districts in the county as School Resource Officers (SRO's). The philosophy of the Boot Camp Program includes the belief that the best prevention of school violence is a strong intervention effort. The SRO's are a visible presence in the schools and serve the families of students who have been through the Boot Camp by providing follow-up visits to the home, when necessary, and provide intervention programs and support to the teachers and administrators of the schools.

Since the program's inception at the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year, both school districts have experienced a significant reduction in disciplinary infractions at school. There have been no expulsions or out-of-school suspensions of students in two years, and incidents of violent behavior (possesion of weapons, fighting) and other illegal activity (drug and alcohol possession/use) have seen drammatic declines.

The Boot Camp Program is funded by a U.S. Department of Justice COPS In Schools grant. For additional information about the Drew County School-Within-A-School Program contact Frank Ferguson (ferguson@drewcentral.org), Principal, Drew Central High School, or Jack Knight, (knight@drewcentral.org), Assistant Principal, Drew Central High School.