Dropout Rate Dropping

Tools

Story Published: Sep 21, 2009 at 6:27 PM PDT

By Sade Malloy

Video
TRI-CITIES -- Breaking down the numbers and tracking our local dropout rates. Local schools are working hard trying to beef up their graduation rates. Action News went digging to see if it's actually working.

Keeping students in class and on track to graduate. It's a goal for every school district and one that more and more students are meeting.

"We have 2,100 kids and they might look 2,100 different ways," says Denise Reddinger, Richland High School.

Between 2007 and 2008 6% of the students in the Kennewick School District dropped out. In the Richland School District it's about 3% and in Pasco about 8%.

"When the data talks it tells you if this child needs some help," says Raul Sital, Pasco High School Principal.

Over the past four years the numbers in all three districts have pretty much been on a downward trend with Pasco making the biggest impact. PSD went from an annual dropout rate of 14% back in
2004-2005 to 8%.

Pasco school officials say they're investing more time to teacher training, tracking their students more closely and have a new Saturday class for students close to failing.

"If we create an intervention on a weekly basis nobody falls behind," says Sital.

Sital says there's about 80 to 100 kids in the intervention class, one of those students was Patrick Farrare.

"I just had a problem going to school, I didn't really get into school."

Farrare will tell you, he was on the fast track to dropping out. But the Saturday classes are what kept him going. He's now graduated, though one year late, and has turned into the poster child for second chances.

Current Weather

Icon
Current Temp 46.0 °F
Fair
Video
More Weather

Upload directly from your mobile device.

Learn how

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

On Demand