Thirty-seven percent of San Benito High School students who
attended summer school this year dropped out
– more than ever before. But district administrators aren’t
concerned about the increasing numbers in the voluntary
program.
Hollister – Thirty-seven percent of San Benito High School students who attended summer school this year dropped out – more than ever before. But district administrators aren’t concerned about the increasing numbers in the voluntary program.
Last year the figure was 25 percent.
The high number of drop outs was probably the result of the schedule change that allowed students to take one extra class during the regular school year, Superintendent Jean Burns Slater said.
Students who had enrolled in summer school in order to make up a class they had previously failed may have decided to take the class during the following year because of the extra class period, she said. Students who have failed a class are required to take an extra class period during the regular school year.
Grades are another factor in some students decision to drop out of summer school.
“Summer school is usually not very popular,” Slater said. “Students drop the class if they don’t think they are going to pass. You’re not going to see a lot of ‘F’s during summer school because most students drop out before that point.”
The summer school program is voluntary, most students enroll in order to get ahead in terms of credits or make up a failed class.
Of the 1,689 students who enrolled in summer school last year, only 1,067 finished both semesters. Only two elective classes, the summer school band and the summer school play, retained all students who enrolled.
The school even counts on having students drop out and consciously packs classrooms at the beginning of the summer knowing that class sizes will decrease, Slater said.
“It depends on the summer,” she said. “But we know they’re going to drop out.”
San Benito High School senior Tiffany Bustos took English and chemistry last year and completed both courses in order to avoid taking them later.
“I really didn’t want to take them in the (regular) year because it is easier during the summer,” she said. “It goes by quick and I’m a quick learner.”
But that’s not true for all students, Bustos said many of her peers were unable to finish their summer school classes.
“They said that it was too hard and they wanted to go have fun,” she said.
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or br******@fr***********.com
