YUHSD sees decrease in dropout rates

The Yuma Union High School District reported a decrease in dropout rates for the 2017-18 school year at a governing board meeting this week.

With the Arizona state average of 4.97 percent, the district’s percentage was reported at 1.53 percent. The district’s dropout rate after the 2016-2017 school year was 2.68 percent.

“As a district, we have a 1.53 percent dropout rate,” YUHSD Associate Superintendent Tim Brienza said. “We wish it was zero, and we keep working at that zero. As a state, though, Arizona is at 4.97 percent. So, we are far below the state average, which is good in this case. It’s a combination of the hard work and dedication of our dropout prevention specialists as well as our teachers and every stakeholder who have all made such an incredible difference for our students.”

One school’s dropout rate has seen an unprecedented decline.

San Luis High School (SLHS), which ranks among the best in the states for schools with more than 2,500 students, reached a low of 0.51 percent in dropout rates.

Adriana Carranza, a senior at San Luis High School, is currently weighing her options for college.

“I’m actually thinking about going to California or Colorado,” she said.

Getting into either shouldn’t be an issue. She said the school has provided her with the right resources to be successful. It’s also helped her step into her role as the Educators Rising Arizona President. The curriculum has also helped her solidify her plans for the future.

“Teachers do help people, they are your pyshcologist, they’re your coach, sometimes they’re your best friend. When I realized that, I realized that education is a career I want to pursue,” Carranza said.

SLHS Principal Tammy Ray credits the school’s low dropout rate to the school’s staff, its participation in the GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) program, and the continuous effort from everyone involved to ensure that students stay in school.

“To go from 3.15 down to the .51 is, I mean, it’s amazing, it’s incredible and certainly a source of pride for everybody and not just me,” Ray added.

Students can drop out of school for a multitude of reasons.

“The fact that, um, they have to go to work and support their family. It could be the comfort level, we want every student feeling comfortable,” Brienza said.

For Carranza, the Career & Technical Education classes helped her put real-life skills to the test. She believes they help keep students in the classrooms.

“I think a big factor in that is definitely CTE classes because they help guide you to a step you didn’t know you wanted to take. For example, like I said, I didn’t know I wanted to be a teacher until I took that,” Carranza said.

Another contribution towards this effort was the hiring of a dropout prevention specialist for every YUHSD campus.