Flowing Wells High School

I recently went on a tour of Flowing Wells High School led by the principal, Jim Brunenkant. Flowing Wells High School is one of two high schools in the Flowing Wells district. It has a student population of around 1,700 students. 75% of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals. In public schools, free or reduced lunch is an indicator of household income and when students are eligible, this means they are living at or below the poverty level (currently at $18,498 for a family of 3 in the United States.) 
Mr. Brunenkant holds high expectations for his students but he is also very mindful of the importance of relationships. He strives to provide a clean, safe, stable and motivating environment for students. This is especially important for students in low income areas because their home lives may not be as stable or enriching. In fact, the zip code in which the school is located (85705) is the only zip code in all of Arizona that has its own CPS (child protective services) office. But from observing the immaculate campus free of trash and even weeds, and the plethora of A.P. and pre-A.P. classes, fine arts and after-school activities, I would have never assumed that. 
One of the most interesting things about Flowing Wells is their commitment to fine arts and also to providing a large amount of activities and organizations during and after school (here is a list of clubs the school offers.) Mr. Brunenkant strongly believes that by providing something for everyone, students will be motivated to come to school. What other reasons do you think it might be important to provide many options for students as far as activities and extracurriculars?

If you would like more information on the poverty thresholds, here is the U.S. Census Bureau link.