OVER 300 of 375 Marianas High School senior students will graduate this year, MHS Principal James Denight said.
Denight admitted that keeping high school students on campus is a difficult job but the current rate of expected graduates is already higher than last year’s record.
“We anticipate 300 students to graduate, give or take a few. It’s more this year. It’s been increasing every year. It’s a slow process,” the principal said.
But Denight said the dropout rate among senior high school students remains a major concern.
“Even if there are only five dropout students it would still be a concern. We try to do everything to keep the students in school,” he said.
“It’s difficult to give an exact percentage (of dropout students) because many of them who will not graduate this year will come back and finish their education. But the dropout rate this year is smaller and it’s improving all the time,” he added.
MHS is doing its best to improve the statistics on graduating students, Denight said.
MHS now has more stringent attendance policy, he said. “Challenging” students are placed on probation to give them a chance to change, he added.
“We’ve (also) been offering other programs for those students (who) lack basic skills,” the principal said.
But despite all these challenges, Denight said the academic performance of MHS students is improving.
“We don’t really compare whether our students are measuring up with the students in the states. But overall, our students are getting better in their SAT scores, and there are some areas that they are getting a little better by some percentage points,” Denight said.
MHS will hold its graduation ceremony at the school gymnasium on June 6.
