Dear editor:
As superintendent of the Hot Springs School District, I find it necessary to respond to the letter to the editor on Wednesday, Sept. 10, regarding the district's graduation rate. It is the vision of the Hot Springs School District to graduate all students college and career ready. It is an ambitious vision, but one that we continually strive to attain because we know, as well as the Hot Springs community, the impact of students graduating from high school with 21th century skills is critical to today's job market.
In reference to the district having the lowest graduation rate in the state is a misnomer. Hot Springs High School's graduation rate is 81.25, slightly lower than the state average and higher than the national average. The high school met its annual measurable objective and was designated as "achieving in its graduation rate."
The Hot Springs Area Community Foundation has invested human resources as well as financial resources into our Operation Graduation Initiative, which targets ninth-grade students. Their investment has helped us get the students off to a great start in the ninth grade. In addition, a $10,000 grant from them helped fund our Operation Graduation, Freshman Orientation: Camp TROY, peer mentoring program, and college exposure trips. All of this investment in our school and our students is in an effort to encourage and emphasize the importance of graduation.
Research indicates that if we can get students off to a solid start as freshmen, then they are more likely to graduate college and career ready.
The fact that the district operates an Alternative Learning Environment, the Summit School, located at 220 Tom Ellsworth Drive, which includes students from all of the Garland County schools, the Juvenile Detention Center, Vista (Family 8: Therapeutic Services) and the Job Corps, affects the district's graduation rate. The alternative learning environment gives students who might not otherwise have an opportunity to further their education with an alternative academic learning setting and it keeps kids from falling through the cracks. At the Summit School, students are able to get their diplomas, which may take some of them more than four years or they can obtain a GED. Subsequently, the district's graduation rate is impacted.
It is our desire to have 100 percent of our student's graduate college and career ready. With 81.25 percent of our high school students graduating, it is evident that we are progressing. Our continuous improvement is in large part due to the support of our school board and the community at large -- and for that we say "Thank you!" The district staff stays focused on our vision, mission and core beliefs, and they continue to work toward preparing all our students to compete in a global society.
Joyce Craft
Superintendent
Hot Springs School District
Editorial on 09/14/2014