Superintendent Dr. Rodney Watson, from left, shakes hands with school volunteers during the 2016 Grad Walk.
HOUSTON – Sept. 12, 2016 – More than 350 volunteers were on the move all over the Spring community on Saturday, Sept. 10, reaching out to students who have not returned to school this year.
Spring ISD staff members joined forces with community members as they gathered at every school campus in the district before travelling to the homes of students who have not been attending school, or who are at risk of not graduating.
“In our strategic plan, EveryChild 2020, we focus specifically on meeting the needs of every single student. One of the ways we do that is to bring the community together to help us reclaim these students, and the turnout we had this morning shows our community is committed to this and supporting our efforts,” said Superintendent Dr. Rodney E. Watson.
The groups visited homes and listened to families’ concerns to discover what problems might be obstructing the students’ return. They offered information about support programs to get the students back in school and to help them find success in the classroom. Additional support and contact information were left at the residences of families and students that were not at home during the visit.
Watson led a group from Dekaney High School as they knocked on several doors in the area. At the first address, they met with a high school student who is only a few credits away from graduation. After a discussion with the family at the front door of the home, the young man and his mother made the decision to return to school and immediately went to the campus to re-enroll.
Staff members at every campus throughout the district were stationed at the school’s front office to welcome and register returning students, and student success specialists at each high school were on hand to help students begin work toward a successful graduation.