By Trey Crumbie

Beginning this upcoming school year, the dropout rate for most Kentucky public schools will be raised to 18 from 16. Senate Bill 97, which was signed into law by Gov. Steve Beshear in 2013, also requires students who have dropped out previously to head back to school if they are not 18 and have not earned their GED.

Both Bardstown City Schools and Nelson County Public Schools already adopted the new law two years earlier, but now the school systems are tasked with retrieving the students who dropped out previously.

Bardstown City Schools must retrieve three students while Nelson County Schools must retrieve one.

The school districts sent a letter to the last known addresses of the students informing them to re-enroll. If the letter goes without response, the district will go directly to the address of the student to make contact. If the student was not at the address, then the district followed up with family and friends of the student to find their whereabouts.

“It’s almost like an investigation,” Bardstown City Schools Superintendent Brent Holsclaw said.

If the student refuses to re-enroll, they are breaking the law.

Once contacted, an evaluation of the student’s situation will be made. Holsclaw said the school district would try to integrate the student back into the school system. He said this could be problematic, such as if the former student is employed.

“Let’s say they’re doing something positive,” Holsclaw said. “Well, we don’t want to stop that.”

If the student is employed or is lacking several credits that will need making up in a short amount of time, one the methods Bardstown City Schools uses is EdOptions, a self-paced online program that is monitored by a school district official.

Anthony Orr, superintendent for Nelson County Schools, said his school system will also work to give special accommodations to those who have dropped out and now have to come back. Like Bardstown City Schools, Nelson County Schools offer credit recovery programs.

Holsclaw said Bradstown City Schools has seven methods outside of regular classroom learning to make sure a student doesn’t drop out. They include the PASS (Positive Approach to Student Success) Program, a program made to give positive support to students with behavioral problems, a highly structured classroom which emphasizes a small student to teacher ratio and focuses on improving the behavior of students and an alternative school. Nelson County Schools also offer similar programs to prevent students from dropping out.

“There’s not one answer for every child,” Holsclaw said, noting that the school system offers many options for those who may have individualized needs.

School for both Nelson County and Bardstown City Schools begin Aug. 5.