MORAL KOMBAT PROGRAM MAY BE EXPANDED

ERWIN - Moral Kombat behavior improvement courses, available through the
Unicoi County School System, may be expanded to include programs for
students with drug or alcohol problems.

The Unicoi County School Board was given its first look at MK5 on Thursday
and is considering the program in addition to the MK1 behavioral program.
The MK1 program has been utilized in the middle school and high school here
for three years. Both programs are available through a division of First
Tennessee Human Resource Agency and the local Correctional Counseling
Institute.

A strong advocate for the programs, Unicoi County Middle School Principal
Denise Brown told school board members the MK1 program has been
instrumental by making a big difference in the lives of students who have
attended. The first MK program was implemented by the FTHRA in response to
the unfilled needs of regional courts, schools and other social service and
youth serving organizations.

If approved by the school board, MK5 will use guidance and teach techniques
to students who do not have a serious alcohol or drug problem, but the use
of alcohol or drugs have created problems in their personal or public lives.

Spokesperson for the MK5 program Teresa Bohannon said, "It is a six-week
program that costs $120 for the six session classes. It is based on fun -
serious-type fun that is designed to get kids talking.

"The students can come to us through the schools, referrals, parents or
grandparents. They will undergo assessment to see it they are suitable for
the program. It is an early intervention and not a counseling program."

Bohannon said the MK programs are proven to have a 82 percent success rate
where students who participate do not find themselves in serious trouble
for the next year. The MK5 program is the newest program offered. The adult
version is already in use while the student version is waiting for the
state's final approval.

School board members said they will look at the program and any school
policies that may need to be updated before they will make a final
decision. Students who are referred to the MK programs who can not afford
the fee will have the opportunity to work community service or receive a
scholarship.

"No child needing the programs will be left out," Bohannon said.