According to Mat-Su Borough School District Superintendent Dr. Randy Trani, the Mat-Su Borough has some of the best graduation rates state-wide each year. Despite this, he said the district’s correspondence students consistently lag behind their non-correspondence peers.
For the 2024 graduating class, the district’s correspondence school Mat-Su Central had a graduation rate of 73%, 13% lower than the district average of 86%.
At the January 15th School Board meeting, Dr. Trani commented on this discrepancy.
“This is not an indictment of our correspondence school or correspondence schools in general,” he told the School Board, “what I’m showing is a problem we have systemically.”
Dr. Trani made it clear he recognizes this is a difficult problem to tackle, but he proposed a plan. He recommended creating two new schools through board action.
One would prioritize a hybrid-learning environment, where students would alternate between in-person instruction and at home learning giving students more customizability with their schedules.
The other would be a dedicated correspondence school awarding the state minimum diploma to graduates.
However, opening two new schools is a daunting goal. Dr. Trani needs additional funding and public support for the programs.
While there is no specific timeline for the possible school openings, Dr. Trani said he hopes to see progress within the next two years.
