Canine Classmates

“Description;Amount^SERVICE DOGS TRAINING GROOMING VET SUPPLIES;15919|SCHOOL AND OFFICE SUPPLIES;3639|MILEAGE TO AND FROM SCHOOLS;13206|SUBSCRIPTIONS AND DUES;1380|INSURANCE;1931|INTEREST EXPENSE;1284|BANK CHARGES;393|DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION;6298|TELEPHONE;2783^Total;46833^”

“Description;EOY Amount^EQUIPMENT;6166|SOFTWARE;588|WEBPAGE DEVELOPMENT;1710|SERVICE DOGS;15410|AMORTIZATION AND DEPRECIATION;-14024^Total;9850^”

“Description;EOY Amount^CURRENT PAYABLES;4767|LONG TERM DEBT;4726^Total;9493^”

“for struggling and at-risk pre-K through 5th grade students. We accomplish this by pairing mentors and trained service dogs with students in a program that is positive, nurturing and motivational. The students participate in the one-on-one (or in small groups) literacy program for 30 minutes at the same time and on the same day each week with the same mentor to develop consistency. We work with the teachers and counselors to tailor our approach based on the needs of each child. Our continual evaluation enables us to quickly modify our approach when needed. Canine Classmates has developed a proven solution with an effective success rate based on school measurements. A majority of students in the Canine Classmates program are deemed "at-risk" and represent a diverse population of children with issues such as mobility handicaps, emotional issues, learning problems, special education needs, speech and language delays, autism, and those from economically disadvantaged homes. Behaviors in children who are autistic, nonverbal by choice, argumentative, emotionally disturbed, and with prior high truancy have been dramatically changed for the better due to interaction with the dogs and Canine Classmates mentors. Literacy is often the one single denominator to a student's success in school, society, and in the job market. National statistics show that students who aren't reading at grade level by the third grade are four times less likely to finish high school and two-thirds of students who struggle with reading by the fourth grade will run into trouble with the law. Approximately 85% of youth in the juvenile court system are considered to be functionally illiterate. During the 2019-20 school year, Canine Classmates served 401 elementary students on 12 campuses; 9 in Comal ISD, 2 in New Braunfels ISD and 1 in Blanco ISD. All schools requested services for 2019-20, and several of the schools have requested additional days next year. The goal of Canine Classmates is to help these students attain the reading skills they need to advance and have an equal opportunity for a successful future.”