Just like all other school districts in Kentucky, Boone County Schools is tracking down dropouts to tell them they must return to school this fall because of this new law.  The only students exempt are those receiving their GED by June 30th, those returning to private schooling or those being home schooled.  Mike Ford, president of the Kentucky Directors of Pupil Personnel board and Director of Attendance Services at Boone County Schools, said dropouts affected by the new law are receiving letters. He said the districts' pupil personnel directors would talk are talking with principals about what programs could be offered this summer to get the dropouts back on track. "Finding the students who dropped out is not going to be a problem, our biggest challenge, however, will be to identify resources for the former dropout that will give them the opportunity to get caught up."  The state has provided each district with a $10,000 grant to plan for implementation of the increased dropout age.  The grant must be spent for identification or intervention of students at risk for dropping out.  Once these students are re-enrolled they have until age 21 to get their high school diploma.  A recent state law changed the age a student is required to graduate out of the system from 18 to 21. According to Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday the Commonwealth is already tracking students who have withdrawn from schools to be "home-schooled" to make sure they are not really just trying to drop out. 

 

The most significant dropout factor is academic deficiency, a student getting behind in credit hours and not feeling they can catch up, gives up and drops out.  Other factors include pregnancy, boredom and perceived bullying among others.  Of the 20,400 students attending Boone County Schools 56 students have dropped out during the 2014-2015 school year, that's about 1% of total students.  The median annual income of a high school dropout is $12,000.  Nationally, high school dropouts commit about 75% of crimes and 82% prisoners are high school dropouts.  The National Center for Education Statistics figures shows Kentucky's graduation rate for the 2012-2013 school year was 86 percent beating the U.S. average.  This the most recent statistic available.  The state Department of Education says only nine states have a higher rate and six are tied with Kentucky. The national rate is 81 percent.