Countdown to zero, Mission CISD recovers dropout students

Mission CISD started the school year with 445 potential dropout students. But by Sept. 27, the district recovered 418, making the dropout rate less than 1%. 

 

“Our ultimate goal is to bring every single child back, but less than 1% is key,” Family and Community Engagement Migrant Coordinator Nancy Villarreal said. “We really do want to go ahead and be able to make a difference in all our babies’ lives.” 

 

With a dropout rate of less than 0.52% for the year, Mission CISD boasts an annual rate lower than the state and regional average for grades 9-12. According to the 2023 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), Mission CISD’s dropout rates were 0.9% in 2021-2022 or 1.5% in 2020-2021. 

 

 

The district’s dropout recovery effort begins every August to meet the state deadline on the last Friday in September. Although Mission CISD works throughout the school year to regain the students lost, the district has a dedicated recovery team, also known as the Leaver Team, that ramps up its efforts from August to the September deadline. The team comprises principals, assistant principals, attendance personnel and community engagement liaisons. 

 

The Leaver Team meets monthly to review the list of students who have withdrawn from the district and verify they have enrolled elsewhere. If they haven’t, the group works to re-enroll them at Mission CISD.

 

“Just because they leave our district, it doesn’t mean that we don’t want to recover and want them to benefit wherever they go,” Villarreal said. “We are committed to our students. We want to make sure that they’re continuing their education and that they’re successful.” 

 

Although Mission CISD’s dropout recovery program focuses on middle and high school students, the district also works to regain elementary students. However, those cases are minimal. The most challenging group to recover is seniors, the engagement coordinator said.

 

While there is not one main issue that causes a student to drop out of school, some common scenarios include pregnancy, homelessness, their social and emotional needs not being met or they cannot pass their state exams. 

 

 

“Sometimes life happens,” Villarreal said. “So we are going out there and having those conversations and trying to convince our parents that just because this happened, doesn’t mean that your child doesn’t have more options.” 

 

Through phone calls and home visits, the Leaver Team works to contact the student or their legal guardian and provide alternatives so they can return to the classroom. If they cannot return to a traditional school schedule, leaver students can join the Options Academy to recover their credits and earn certifications. Additionally, MCISD offers a GED ESL program and the Options II program for adults 21-25. 

 

“We support our students and keeping them on track is part of the recovery efforts,” Villarreal said. “We want them to graduate, we want to be part of investing in their future because, ultimately, they will strengthen our community. And I want that child to come back, after succeeding, to say, ‘Now, I’m giving back to Mission CISD and my community.’”