Press Release

Charlottesville, VA - On Friday, September 28, 2007 Llezelle Dugger, candidate for the Charlottesville School Board held a press conference to discuss the dropout rates. The text of her remarks follows:

"The 2006-2007 dropout rates will not be final until the end of the fall semester, but the preliminary numbers* continue an unfortunate upward trend.

2003-2004 2.56% 33/1290
2004-2005 3.24% 43/1326
2005-2006 4.32% 58/1342
2006-2007* 4.80%* 64/1333*

How do we stop this upward trend? The answer lies in a collaboration between our schools and our entire community. Our schools are currently providing mentoring and tutoring to the students identified as at risk. This is a good start . . . but only a start. We have an abundance of resources in this community wanting to work with our children and help them succeed. Programs like MACAA's Project Discovery and Upward Bound just to name two.

Today, I want to tell you about the Hope Community Center located in the heart of the 10th and Page Neighborhood. Lori-Ann Strait is the Executive Director of the Center. Lori-Ann has started an after-school program at the Center that provides a safe place for their elementary children to come to after school lets out until 5:30 p.m. Activities are provided to allow the children to unwind and expend some energy. A healthy snack is provided. Between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., the children do their homework. If they don't bring their homework, Lori-Ann has grade-appropriate educational assignments for them to accomplish. Tutors from the University of Virginia are on hand to help the children with their homework.

The Center works with Venable Elementary School so that children involved with the Center are sent home with homework in color-coded file folders. That folder is returned to the children's teachers with notes from the tutors that provide information to the teachers about what areas a specific child needs more attention on.

The Hope Community Center is a wonderful example of the community and the school working together to make sure our children do not dropout of school. I want to help make collaborations like the Hope Community Center and Venable Elementary School the reality in all our communities."

(September 28, 2007)