Kalispell Public Schools has set a goal to reduce the high school dropout rate from 4.7 percent to 2.5 percent by the 2015-16 school year.

To reach that goal, the Office of Public Instruction awarded a $10,000 grant through statewide Graduation Matters initiative.

Grant money will provide staff training to implement dropout prevention strategies starting in middle school and improve college and career training opportunities for students.

While the dropout rate in Kalispell high schools decreased by 2.9 percent since 2008, Kalispell Assistant Superintendent Dan Zorn said it remains an area needing improvement.

“We’re doing better, but the bad news is we’re still losing 4.7 percent,” Zorn said.  

That percentage translates to about 122 students and roughly $646,600 in state funding. Zorn said the district attempts to hold exit interviews with students to find out why they drop out and improve retention, but once students leave the school doors, it is difficult to track them.

Dropout rates affect the community outside school walls, which is why Graduation Matters is aimed as a community effort.

According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, the lost lifetime earnings in Montana from dropouts this year alone totaled $830 million.

The economy of Montana would see a combination of crime-related savings and additional revenue of about $19.6 million each year if the male high school graduation rate would increase by just 5 percent.

Office of Public Instruction Superintendent Denise Juneau praised Kalispell’s efforts.

“The Kalispell School District is putting an impressive team together to increase their graduation rate and raise expectations for all students,” Juneau said. “This is the kind of community support that students need to be successfully prepared for college and the 21st century work force.”

Graduation Matters Kalispell kicked off in September with a public forum including Juneau and community members to brainstorm ideas to improve graduation rates in the Flathead Valley.

Schools new to Graduation Matters Montana also received grant money, including: Libby, $7,000; Polson, $9,950; St. Ignatius, $10,000; and Thompson Falls, $7,000.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.