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Lakota graduation rates dropping

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By Lindsey Hilty, Staff Writer Updated 8:24 PM Sunday, November 1, 2009

LIBERTY TWP. — Graduation rates are dropping in the Lakota Local School District, and officials said they want to reverse the trend before it becomes a bigger issue.

“If we have one drop out, that’s really too many,” said Ron Spurlock, assistant superintendent of secondary education.

In 2006-2007, the graduation rate was 95.5 percent. It dropped .8 percent for 2007-2008. The projected rate for 2008-2009 will be around 93.1 percent, according to district reports. The final number will be sent to the state in February, once the district has tracked down how many of the students may have just transferred schools without reporting it.

While the actual number of drop outs is around 70 students of the districts nearly 18,500 students, the number still is too high, spokeswoman Laura Kursman said.

“What’s alarming is there are children associated with those numbers and we want to make sure they succeed,” she said.

The goal, she said, is to address the problem now rather than have it escalate later.

Of the drop outs, Spurlock said, about half have joined the district four years or fewer prior to dropping out. The key, he said, is early detection and intervention.

“It’s going to take some time before we start seeing some results,” he said. “When you really start making headway is when you start catching students earlier in the younger years.”

Some programs set up to address the problem include having early identification with an emphasis on individual education plans to provide supports; encouraging courses designed to help the student pass the Ohio Graduation Test; and catching up on reading or math skills; and counseling credit deficient students.

Counselors are piloting a credit audit program to better track what students need to graduate, and with the change to the grading scale, Spurlock said, students may be more motivated to keep applying themselves rather than giving up.

East Principal Keith Kline said student support teams meet weekly to ensure student needs are met. Also, he said, the district is paying special attention to the educational background of new students to ensure they receive tutoring or support if needed. Although last year was a tough year, he said the numbers are rebounding in 2009.

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