YUHSD achieves new low dropout rates

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) continues its trend of decreasing their dropout rate each year by achieving a 1.13% rate.

The district is made up of seven schools, and they have a combined dropout rate of just over one percent.

This year, five schools saw rates of under 1%. Meanwhile, the state's average is around 4.5%.

Landon Haromeny, a local senior at Cibola High School student, shares why it's important to stay in school.

"It's your future. I don't know why you would want to jeopardize yourself, or put yourself in that situation and drop out when you can go here for four years, get an education and pursue further excellence," Haromey says.

Yescina Cuming, a droupout rate prevention specialist for Cibola High School, shares how everyone has contributed to make this happen.

"It really takes the entire community. It's teachers, parents, the students themselves, we also partner with juvenile court and other agencies outside of the Yuma Union High School District," Cuming said.

Harmoney also shares what kind opportunities schools can provide.

"Obviously kids don't want to do it, they want to stay home, they just want to be lazy but staying school is one of the most important things, and you build personal relationships, you build grades, you build everything here at school and so it’s very important to stay here," he says.

Meanwhile, Cuming shares how she does her best to ensure a student’s success.

"Building relationships and having ongoing communication, this includes with students and parents or guardians alike, it's very important for them to realize that attendance is very important for their student's academic success," she said.

This is the second year in a row where the district has maintained its dropout rate of less than two percent.