What the Foundation
Can Do:
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Grand County Schools Demographics
Grand County School District (GCSD) is unique as a rural District serving a population that covers an entire county of approximately 10,000 residents. GCSD is comprised of a student enrollment of 1529 (November 2009) with a 48% poverty level and 73 students who are limited in English proficiency.
Risk factors for students who live in poverty and those with limited English proficiency increase as students continue into middle and high school. Risk factors include: few support systems to assist with school work, belonging to anti-social peer groups, and unhealthy lifestyles. These factors place stress on student performance which creates an increase in drop-out rates. An increase in drop-out rates equates to an increase in crime, teen pregnancy, depression, and willingness to work in low-paying jobs rather than be career oriented.
It is recognized nationally that students perform better and stay in school longer if their educational experiences include hands-on, experiential learning, and opportunities for the arts and recreation. During the last ten years GCSD has increased support to band, debate, drama, after-school tutoring and athletics. This has helped achieve a graduation rate in 2009 of 95.83%.
