Glenn County Board of Education kills dropout recovery program. So what now?

Georgia's Glynn County Board of Education decided Tuesday to end a night school program that has helped dozens of former dropouts and at-risk students graduate from high school.

And that decision may impact the ability of some 148 other students to graduate, if they don't do so by May.

The board said it was killing the year-old Coastal Education High School program at the conclusion of next semester, because of its cost, as well as a fear that it might be pulling students away from regular high schools, according to The Brunswick News.

We can certainly understand why the board needs to be attentive to the bottom line. But students who were previously making progress toward graduation are going to be stymied by this decision.  

As Rebecca Royal told The News, “the very same things that kept them out the first time will keep them out again."

That means bullies. Inflexible work schedules. Parenting obligations. Sick relatives. Limited transportation. 

Whether trying to keep students in school who are at-risk of dropping out or bringing students back into the fold who have already dropped out, flexibility is key. This program offered students more flexibility.

As such, the most important question that the board needs to answer now is: What now? 

Rebekah Richards is the chief academic officer of The American Academy, which partners with more than 40 school districts across the United States to help turn dropouts into diploma holders.