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YOU ASK: CCSD reponds to 'drop out' board

Posted at 5:11 PM, May 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-12 21:43:27-04
UPDATE: CCSD has released the following statement:
 
"The purpose of the bulletin board at Basic High School labeled 'Where are they now???' is to locate students who the school has been unsuccessful in making contact with. Throughout the course of a school year, many students move out of state or enroll in non-district schools without properly informing their last school of attendance.
 
"Staff at each school utilize all available resources to track and make contact with students, including all phone numbers and addresses on file, and the use of social media.
 
"Due to the use of the bulletin board and students who are willing to help, several students have been located and the staff at Basic High School now know that these students have simply moved out of state or are receiving their education elsewhere. This has resulted in an approximate one percentage point increase in the school's graduation rate.
 
"CCSD understands that a traditional classroom setting does not meet the needs of all students. When we make contact with students, our goal is to make sure they are working toward their diploma at another school or to provide them with options to continue their education in the district. There are many avenues that can be used to earn a high school diploma, to include night classes and adult school as well as online courses. Parents and students in need of alternatives should immediately contact their school. The district is committed to assisting all students in achieving their goals and earning their diplomas."
 
CCSD's graduation rate for 2015 is approximately 72 percent. We won't have the 2016 rate for several months since this year's graduates have yet to take the stage and that number will also need to be varied by the state.
 
ORIGINAL STORY: A local high school put up a board looking for former students, offering current students a reward for finding them.
 
A parent whose son is on the board called us when she said this was just the school shaming her son for dropping out.
 
Tameca Taylor said her son Aaron Hernandez dropped out of Basic High School several years ago, and she was shocked when current students told her his face reappeared in the hallways.
 
"They're harassing him for no reason," said Taylor.
 
Several students saw Aaron on the board and told Taylor about this board, recently put up inside Basic High School.
 
It shows pictures and names of kids who dropped out and offers anyone who can find them a $5 Starbucks card. 
 
"They shouldn't be making boards up like they're criminals because they're not," said Taylor.
 
She said the administration at Basic told her this is a tactic they have used before to get in touch with former drop outs.
 
She said they told her it was successful in the past, but she thinks it's invasive. The picture they used is not even a school photo, but something from his Facebook page.
 
Taylor said they never even called to ask to use the picture, tell her about the board or find her son.
 
"They didn't try because if they did, that board would never came up, if they contacted any parent to ask that," she said.
 
Taylor told 13 Action News Aaron dropped out before his 18th birthday to get a job and help his family. She said when she tried to re-enroll him later, she says they would not take him. 
 
The Clark County School District sent us the following statement:
 
"While the bulletin board utilized at Basic High School does not disclose the purpose or reason for seeking out students, the board will be removed. While well-intentioned, we understand the concerns brought forward. We will work with our schools to find alternative ways to achieve their goals."