Factory school tries to stop dropouts

PADDOCK LAKE — Students struggling at Central High School will have a new option next fall under a program approved Tuesday.

The School Board unanimously approved a plan to join with Burlington and Waterford high schools in offering Second Chance, which links the classroom with a year-round work commitment for students at risk of dropping out.

Launched in 2000, Second Chance Partners for Education is a not-for-profit organization. Juniors and seniors who have been failing in the traditional high school setting commit to spending 21 consecutive months in the program.

Wayne Evert, academic coordinator for the program, told the Central board that students spend two hours a day in a classroom inside a manufacturing plant and six hours a day working for the manufacturer.

The school district pays Second Chance a per-student fee of approximately $6,400. The manufacturer pays Second Chance $500 a month for each student and pays the students an apprentice salary for their work. Those funds go toward paying the certified teacher who works with students in the classroom.

Students who complete the program graduate with a high school diploma and work skills.

Evert said eight students from Central, Burlington and Waterford will be able to enroll in the program next fall. The students will be employed at Lavelle Industries Inc. in Burlington.

“This is really a small part of your student body,” Evert said. “This is one menu item for one particular student.”

Central Administrator Scott Pierce said the program will offer an option for struggling students.

“I think it’s a great program,” he said. “Not everyone is a four-year high school student who then goes on to a four-year university.”

Second Chance has 15 Wisconsin high school districts with existing programs, with classrooms operating at seven business sites. There are 58 students in the program in those districts, with 75 graduates. The program has a 98 percent graduation rate and a 90 percent attendance rate.

To enroll students must apply, be at least 16, have been in school for at least two years, and be behind in the credits needed to graduate.

“It’s almost like applying for a job,” Evert said — and parents must support the choice and provide transportation to the business site.