Pasco leader heads for new mission in Walla Walla
By Terry Murry on Monday, December 27th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – A former Pasco city council member, first elected in November 2017, is leaving for what he sees as an opportunity to transform young students lives. Ruben Alvarado announced his resignation at the end of this year to focus his efforts on a non-profit leadership role in Walla Walla, leading the new Communities in Schools of the Blue Mountain Region affiliate organization. The mission is to surround students with a community of support to help them stay in school and achieve in life.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me professionally,” Alvarado said. “It also gives me a chance to spend more time with my family. My wife Evelyn has been commuting to Walla Walla for work for several years now. I joined Communities in Schools of the Blue Mountain Region because of my strong desire to build teams and partnerships that improve the quality of life in our communities, students and families, in particular students who have historically experienced the greatest inequities in our public systems.”
This partnership launched this fall with Walla Walla Public Schools brings the Communities in Schools model of integrated student support into the district’s five elementary schools. At each school site, a CIS staff member will coordinate a comprehensive range of services to support the holistic needs of students – both academic and non-academic – so they come to school ready to learn.
Communities in Schools of the Blue Mountain Region is part of a statewide network of eleven independent affiliates and four incubating affiliates working daily to ensure that all students, regardless of race, zip code, or socioeconomic background has what they need to realize their potential in school and beyond.
