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Superintendent outlines plan to use Graduation Alliance to reengage dropouts; board seeks data and procurement clarity
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Fitzpatrick told the board the Graduation Alliance program could reengage students who have dropped out and is structured to be cost-neutral to the district; trustees requested counts, details on how diplomas and report-card attribution would work, and procurement and technology clarifications.
Dr. Fitzpatrick introduced the district's packet recommendation to partner with Graduation Alliance, an outside provider that works to re-enroll students who have dropped out and guide them on a path to earn a Cherokee County School District high-school diploma.
He said the program targets students who have already been removed from district rosters and works primarily through online instruction until students can return to their home high school. "The preference is to get them back into school at their middle or high school," he said, adding the provider supplies the laptops and technology students need to participate. He described the program as cost-neutral: once recovered students reenter the district enrollment (ADM), state funding covers the service at a lower rate than the district receives for an in-district student.
Trustees asked several operational and accountability questions. Board members requested how many students in Cherokee County currently qualify for such recovery services and whether there is an age cutoff; Dr. Fitzpatrick said he would provide exact counts and noted students can participate up to age 21, after which they ‘‘age out’’ of the program. He warned that while students can earn a district diploma, those who have been out for many years might not always be counted as graduates on the district's accountability report depending on timing.
The board also asked about procurement. Dr. Fitzpatrick said he wasn’t aware of a like-for-like local vendor and deferred the procurement-path question to district procurement staff, noting there is a student-services exemption that may apply. Finance/procurement staff agreed to advise the board on whether a competitive solicitation is required or whether a sole-source or exemption path is appropriate.
Why it matters: The program would provide a pathway to diplomas for students the district has lost to dropout and could affect both individual outcomes and district graduation counts. Trustees asked for specific data and formal procurement guidance before any award or contract action.
Next steps: Dr. Fitzpatrick committed to provide (a) the number of students eligible or previously lost from the roster, (b) clarification on how returned students would be counted for accountability/reporting, and (c) procurement advice from Mr. Pettit or the procurement office. The board did not take formal action on purchasing at the meeting.
