BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Stay Focused Ministries claims the Bakersfield City School District seeks to rescind its student mentoring contract after 30 years of service.
- Stay Focused Ministries faces potential contract termination with Bakersfield School District after 30 years.
- The organization, founded by Manuel Carrizalez, has been providing mentorship to local youth since 1991.
- Carrizalez believes misunderstandings about the program's religious nature are influencing the district's decision.
- If the contract is not renewed, mentorship services will cease on June 30th.
- Carrizalez plans to address the school board to advocate for the continuation of the program.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After serving the Bakersfield City School District (BCSD) for over 30 years, Stay Focused Ministries (SFM) says the district wants to rescind a contract that mentors students. If this happens, mentors tell me that in the long run, this will hurt students the most.
"Growing up in the neighborhood, you got to be strong," said SFM Founder and Executive Director Manuel Carrizalez. "You got to be strong here and you got to be strong here 'cause if not you get sucked into the streets."
After associating himself with the wrong crowd and being incarcerated, in 1991, Manuel Carrizalez established SFM—a faith-based nonprofit organization committed to providing mentorship and outreach to individuals seeking a brighter future.
"When I started seeing change in my life, I said, 'Man, there's got to be something different, man, there's got to be a way out. Education was one of them. Going back and telling the kids, 'You guys can do anything you want to do, man, you ain't got to be stuck here,'" said Carrizalez.
Carrizalez founded SFM, and for 30 yeas has been providing student mentoring services in partnership with other organizations like the Bakersfield Police Department, and to motivate students with the BCSD. Bakersfield police Detective Dean Barthelmes has been part of the program for the past 11 years as a mentor to students.
"I've gotten so much back from the program and from these boys, seeing them grow up and change. Seeing them be able to achieve the things that they want, be successful, and not fall into the traps of the streets," said Barthelmes.
But much to his surprise and dismay, Carrizalez says the district has not renewed their contract. Carrizalez says he suspects that a couple of school board members have mistaken his mentoring program for being a religious order and using religious beliefs to mentor students.
"They said we were a church, that we were having revival, both of them are both lies," stated Carrizalez.
He says the organization builds relationships with students by sharing testimonials and following them from junior high to high school. As it stands, unless Bakersfield City schools renews the contract with Stay Focused ministries, everything comes to an end on June 30th.
For now, Carrizalez says all he wants from the district is an explanation for their decision.
"Why would you want to take us out, after chaining years and years of students and seeing them graduate. What you're telling me is this—you're not rooting for the kids," said Carrizalez.
Carrizalez says he will address the school board on Tuesday at 6 pm.
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