The Perry School District has long advocated for at-risk students as part of their dropout prevention program, and those efforts have been producing results in recent years.

At the most recent Perry School Board meeting, the District reported a 1.19% dropout rate for the last school year, which is a very low figure for a school system of this size. Superintendent Clark Wicks says the figures are made all-the-more impressive when you take into consideration students who are forced to move back to another country, which counts against the dropout numbers. Wicks believes one factor in their success is the dropout prevention program, which is funded mostly through the state. He says it’s a big help for the at-risk students who may struggle with attendance due to academic or social reasons.

“It allows us to meet the needs of those kids, with the idea that everybody counts, everybody can make a difference. That just shows you that the Perry Community School feels that everybody does count. We want to make a difference, we want these kids to be successful, we want them to graduate. But more importantly, they have to feel that way. They have to row the boat also. So it’s kind of each person making a positive difference for themselves and for the community and society.”

At the meeting, the School Board approved an application to the state for $569,649 for modified allowable growth for the purpose of dropout prevention. Wicks says those funds have been crucial for the program, having funded 19 positions and 11 individual programs.