Dropout

Stories of Dropping Out: 'I Felt Like There Wasn’t Any Use to Keep Coming to School'

Devin Katayama — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:55:00 +0000

Pierre Travis, 23, has lived in Louisville's West End his whole life.

Like other youth we interviewed for our series featuring students who at some point dropped out of the public school system, Travis attended several Jefferson County public schools.

Travis says after being suspended sophomore year he was sent to Buechel Metropolitan High School, one of the district's several alternative schools. Here, he cycled in and out of the system over the next three years and ultimately left Buechel after being arrested for threatening a teacher, he says.

Stories of Dropping Out: 'I Was Learning to Handle Things My Own Way'

Devin Katayama — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:08:00 +0000

Twenty-three-year-old Steven Gholston was born in Louisville’s South End but moved all over Jefferson County, even spending time in Cincinnati and Georgia. He says constantly being on the move was difficult.

Gholston says he attended over half a dozen Jefferson County Public Schools before dropping out.

JCPS Supports Raising Dropout Age to 18, School Board Requests Quick Action

Devin Katayama — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:06:06 +0000

Jefferson County Public Schools officials support raising the district’s dropout age to 18 and they want to move forward with approval soon.

Currently, students can drop out of school at age 16 with parental permission. But the General Assembly has passed legislation that would give local school districts the option to change that.

Stories of Dropping Out: 'I Started to Procrastinate'

Devin Katayama — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:20:00 +0000

Twenty-year-old Kimani Straub says he left Seneca High School just shy of receiving his high school diploma. He's been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and bipolar disorder, but he was always able to maintain good grades.

But when he discovered after 14 years the man he thought was his father wasn't, things started to slip.

Kentucky Education Department Wants Legislators to Try Again to Raise Dropout Age

Brenna Angel — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:30:38 +0000

Changing the high school dropout age from 16 to 18 is a legislative priority once again for the Kentucky Board of Education. During the board's regular meeting Wednesday, board members approved a legislative agenda for the upcoming session that starts in January.

Previous attempts to change the dropout age have been unsuccessful because of questions about how alternative education programs to help at-risk students would be funded.