Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dropout Recovery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves WMI dropout-recovery option to help older students earn diplomas
Summary
Trustees approved a Dropout Recovery and Prevention (DRP) program hosted at White Mountain Institute (WMI) to give students who left school a flexible path to a high school diploma, with mentor supports and an upper age limit tied to state rules.
The Show Low Unified School District board voted to approve a Dropout Recovery and Prevention program attached to White Mountain Institute that the district described as a flexible pathway for former students to complete a high school diploma.
Superintendent Doctor Farnsworth and presenters explained the DRP is aimed at learners who left traditional high school and later seek a standard diploma rather than a GED. The program was described as a tiered option: traditional Show Low High School enrollment (tier 1), WMI/AOI blended options (tier 2), and DRP (tier 3) for learners whose circumstances prevent meeting standard minute‑based attendance requirements.
Under the DRP described to trustees, students will create individualized learning plans and receive weekly mentor check‑ins from a counselor. Presenters said the program has no rigid minute requirement like the district’s Arizona Online Instruction (AOI) option, which can exclude learners who cannot meet a 30‑hour weekly expectation.
The district set an upper eligibility limit consistent with public education rules described in the meeting: students are eligible through the day they turn 22. The presenters said the DRP is intended for a relatively small group of students — those with extenuating circumstances such as working full time or parenting while seeking a diploma.
Board members discussed program tiers and supports. A trustee summarized the model as offering the full high school diploma at tier 1 (traditional high school), WMI/AOI as tier 2, and DRP as a last‑resort tier 3 option for higher‑risk students. The board approved the program by voice vote.
District staff said the DRP will allow the district to retain funding for students who return and create a structured pathway with supports and case management to increase graduation rates.
The board’s approval authorizes district staff to operate the DRP at WMI and to implement the counselor‑mentor and individualized‑plan approach described in the presentation.
