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Fine Arts pathway shows strong graduation and lower absenteeism; Hanover did not include external funding
Summary
The Hanover review showed strong outcomes for the Fine Arts pathway (100% graduation among the small cohort reported and lower chronic absenteeism versus nonparticipants); board members asked staff to clarify that Hanover's figures exclude external community funding and revenue streams such as ticket sales.
The board heard that the Fine Arts pathway — spanning three schools and centered at East High School's Fine Arts Institute — reports strong academic outcomes in Hanover's snapshot. Johns highlighted that the firm saw 18 students with reported ACT scores for the pathway and that graduation for that group was shown as 100% relative to the peer group.
Johns also said the Hanover analysis flagged chronic absenteeism differences ("20 compared to 44% of nonparticipant students" according to the presentation). Board members noted that Hanover's scope focused on district costs and did not include external community support, grants or revenue from ticket sales and external lessons; Johns confirmed Hanover did not account for external funding and that those supports could be material to the program's sustainability.
Board members asked staff to investigate full program cost accounting that includes district outlays and community contributions so the board can better evaluate return on investment when the district faces ongoing budget pressure.
