Ombudsman: An Alternate Route

DALLAS, Ga. (June 2, 2008) – Ombudsman Educational Services today announced it is partnering with the Paulding County School District to help the district’s middle and high school students graduate.

Ombudsman Educational Services offers personalized, computer-assisted learning for middle and high school students who would benefit from an alternative learning environment. School districts turn to Ombudsman to help educate their at-risk students and improve graduation rates.

“We are excited about the cost saving option for the district but also the opportunity and flexibility in scheduling, it offers our at-risk students,” Paulding County Schools Deputy Superintendent Cliff Cole said.

Ombudsman and has an 85 percent success rate among its student body, meaning students graduate from Ombudsman or their home school district, improve their academic standing or earn necessary academic credits. Ombudsman is a division of Educational Services of America (ESA), the nation’s leading provider of special and alternative education programs, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

“Students drop out of school for a variety of reasons,” Mark Claypool, president and CEO of ESA, said. “Some students have to work to support their families. Some feel they are too far behind academically to catch up and others sometimes feel like they just don’t fit in at their school.”

“Ombudsman Educational Services provides students an alternate route to earn a high school diploma in a learning environment that’s right for them,” Claypool said. “For many students, the right environment includes personalized instruction in a small classroom setting with flexible schedules that accommodate their family and work responsibilities.”

Ombudsman partners with a total of 20 school districts in Georgia. The Paulding County School District is one of 12 Georgia school districts that signed contracts in 2008 to offer the Ombudsman program when school resumes this fall. The 12 districts are: Paulding, McDuffie, Appling, Camden, Pierce, Tattnall, Cobb, Glynn, Ware and Walker counties, Cartersville School System and Marietta City. Ombudsman operates existing programs in eight other Georgia school districts: Bulloch, Coffee, Effingham, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Douglas and Toombs counties, and Vidalia city.

About Ombudsman Educational Services
Ombudsman Educational Services partners with school districts to provide an off-campus, alternative education program that offers highly personalized, computer-assisted learning for middle and high school students facing a variety of issues including truancy, credit or academic skill deficiencies, social and family challenges or learning/behavioral disorders. These issues frequently prevent them from succeeding in a traditional school setting. Ombudsman Educational Services is a service division of Educational Services of America, the nation’s leading provider of special and alternative education programs.

Ombudsman Educational Services has partnerships with more than 120 school districts across the country to operate programs this fall. Ombudsman Educational Services learning centers are typically located within the school district they serve, but away from the campuses to minimize social distractions and allow students to focus on their studies. For more information, visit www.ombudsman.com or www.esa-education.com.