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Mentor's Care program credited with higher attendance, fewer discipline referrals and strong graduation outcomes at Wiley HS program
Summary
District staff and volunteers described Mentor's Care results to the board, with the program's site coordinator citing improved attendance, reduced disciplinary referrals and high promotion/graduation rates; a student credited the program with changing his high-school experience.
Wiley ISD trustees heard a presentation on Mentor's Care, a volunteer-based mentoring program the district runs on several campuses, with staff reporting measurable improvements for participating students and a senior student describing personal benefits.
Mark Blakely, introduced by district staff as the site coordinator for the Mentor's Care program, told trustees the program has been operating in the district for four years and highlighted outcomes for students assigned to mentors. Blakely said 89 percent of Mentor's Care students met the district's 90 percent attendance threshold, 89 percent saw a decrease in discipline referrals, and 94 percent of program participants advanced to the next grade level. He said the program focuses on attendance, discipline reduction and graduation support and counts roughly 73 students in the high-school caseload at peak participation this year.
Student testimony: Darian Hawkins, a student who joined the program as a sophomore after moving into the district, credited Mentor's Care and named mentor volunteers for providing guidance and social support that made school more manageable. Hawkins told the trustees the program "quite literally changed my life" and said he wishes the program were available in every school.
Volunteer and military connections: Program organizers said about 25 of the 73 mentors were active-duty military and that the district's Adopt-a-School connections (including Dyess/7 LRS volunteers) helped supply mentors and volunteers. The program coordinator asked the community for additional volunteers for the coming year, noting mentor turnover and deployment cycles.
Why it matters: Mentor programs are a commonly used layer of support for students at risk of chronic absence, disciplinary action or dropout. The district presented Mentor's Care as complementary to classroom and family interventions rather than a replacement for those supports.
Next steps: Program staff will continue recruitment and coordination with campus counselors and will request continued district support for materials and light operational supplies (snacks and meeting space). Trustees thanked organizers and the student who spoke.
