Committee reviews small rise in dropouts, focuses on multilingual supports and alternative pathways

The Nantucket School Committee was presented with state dropout data showing 10 students recorded as dropouts for the 2023–24 school year, prompting discussion of targeted supports for multilingual learners and expanded alternative programming.

The briefing, given by a staff member presenting district dropout statistics, said district enrollment as of June 2024 was 589 students in grades 9–12 and that 10 students were reported as dropouts, a 1.7 percent rate. "Of those students we had 10 students who were reported as dropouts, which is 1.7 percent of our total school population," the staff member said. The presenter noted the distribution by grade (one ninth-grader, four tenth-graders and five eleventh-graders) and that five of the 10 students were English language learners.

Why it matters: The committee said the demographic details — grade levels, language status and reasons such as work or social-emotional needs — point to options the district can use to prevent future dropouts, including credit recovery, counseling, and flexible schedules.

Discussion and district responses

Committee members heard that two of the students left for social-emotional or mental-health treatment, one student entered Job Corps (which would remove that student from the dropout count if the student completes the program), and several were leaving school for work to support themselves or their families. The presenter described existing and planned supports: co-taught classes pairing an ESL teacher with a general-education teacher, expanded SEI (Sheltered English Immersion) professional development for staff, increased guidance outreach and a new multilingual student support group tied to the district’s bridge room and counseling services.

The staff member described use of the Accelerate Academy for credit recovery and said some older freshmen are using that program to catch up and remain on track for graduation. The presenter recounted a recent case in which a multilingual learner who faced an early exit was able to remain enrolled through coordination with DESE and now plans to enter college after graduation.

Committee members pressed for more detail on reasons students leave and options to keep them enrolled. One committee member asked whether work obligations were common among the students who left; the presenter said that for a subset — particularly among male students — leaving to work was a recurring reason. The committee also discussed the state requirement for an exit interview and described using that meeting as an opportunity to present alternatives such as reduced schedules and evening programming.

Next steps and constraints

The committee and staff said the district will continue using targeted interventions (co-taught classes, multilingual counseling, Accelerate Academy and exit interviews) and explore alternative scheduling or evening courses to accommodate students who must work. The presenter said the district is planning a college-visit trip in May for a small group of multilingual students and that separate trips are planned for other cohorts.

The committee made no formal vote on new policy at the meeting; members instead asked staff to continue refining supports and to report more precise counts and follow-up outcomes at a future meeting.

Ending

Committee members emphasized returning to this issue with more granular data (reasons for exit, program outcomes and follow-up on students who enter Job Corps) so the district can measure whether the supports reduce future dropout reports.