Thornton – As an educator, Martin Damrell doesn’t just want to know how many students have dropped out of Platte Valley schools in Kersey; he wants to know why.
“If they’re still in my community … that’s a problem I have to deal with,” Damrell told state Education Department staff at a public hearing Monday. “If kids move out of the district, it’s a different problem than if they’re still in the community but not attending schools.”
Monday’s forum, held in the Adams 12 Five Star School District, gave educators, policymakers and community members the chance to comment on proposed changes to the way districts report student data. Two other forums are scheduled for Wednesday in Pueblo and Monday in Delta.
The State Board of Education has until Nov. 15 to establish a set of rules for all districts to use to report the number of dropouts, graduates, transfers and other data, such as student mobility.
Under the current system, school districts use different approaches to reporting such data, resulting in inconsistent data across the state.
State Rep. Debbie Benefield, D-Arvada, who served on the House Education Committee last session, told state staff members she’d like to see dropout-rate figures broken out to show why students leave school so that schools can address the problems, such as offering programs that will draw students back.
“If he or she is sitting in your neighborhood and not going to school, that is what most people believe a dropout is,” she said.
“If we know this family definitely moved back to Mexico, we should be able to (show) that somehow,” she said. “Then … let’s address the migrant issue.”
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-820-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
