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Mentors Care reports improved attendance, promotions for Waxahachie High students
Summary
Mentors Care told the Waxahachie ISD board the high school's program served more students than average, with positive early indicators for attendance, promotion and behavioral referrals; a student testified the program changed her grades and involvement.
Mentors Care officials told trustees the nonprofit program at Waxahachie High School is serving more students than at many partner sites and is showing measurable improvements in attendance, promotion and behavior.
Brian Blackwell, Mentors Care managing director, said the program's August–January data for Waxahachie High showed 74 mentors and 65 students active in the program at the time of the report. He said the program logged about 530 volunteer hours locally, an average of roughly eight hours per mentor.
Program outcomes and needs - Of students served across Mentors Care partner high schools, reported improvements included reductions in self‑harm (48%), bullying (38%), discipline issues (37%) and substance problems (36%) compared with baseline; Blackwell presented these as multi‑school statistics for prior years. - At Waxahachie High, 96% of Mentors Care students met the 90% attendance standard (avoiding course credit loss), 93% were promoted to the next grade and all seniors in the program graduated the prior year, Blackwell said.
Student perspective: Jasmine, a Waxahachie High sophomore in the program, told trustees she moved from low effort and B/C grades to straight A's after meeting her mentor. "She believed in me and pushed me to care more about my grades," Jasmine said, adding she joined FBLA and got her first job with support from the mentor.
Local coordination: Stephanie Roy, the Waxahachie High Mentors Care coordinator and a district alumnus, said the school referral process is functioning and staff identify students with attendance, grades or behavioral risk. Blackwell said mentoring coordinators also refer students to outside services for needs such as basic clothing, food, counseling or temporary housing assistance when required.
Closing: Trustees and staff praised the program's community support; Mentors Care representatives said they would supply a more detailed August–May final report in June or July covering the full school year.
Ending: Board members thanked the Mentors Care staff and volunteers, and several encouraged community participation in the program's fundraisers and recruitment efforts.
