Webutuck plans to raise minimum dropout age

WEBUTUCK — During the Webutuck Board of Education (BOE) meeting held on Monday, Oct. 17, the board gave the first reading of a new policy that will raise the dropout age in the district from 16 to 17 years old.“It needs to happen,” BOE President Dale Culver said. “I believe if we’re serious about developing excellence at Webutuck, we need to take action.”Culver said the new policy, which is expected to pass as early as the next BOE meeting on Monday, Nov. 7, will make it more difficult for students to drop out. It will also stop it from being a choice between staying in school for a year and dropping out since most students are already seniors by the time they reach 17 years old.“I think it’s great. It’s a huge first step,” high school Principal Ken Sauer said. “It can only serve to be a positive initiative.”“Right now it’s pretty easy for kids to drop out of high school, and it shouldn’t be,” he said.Sauer said the new policy shows that the BOE recognizes the important goal of educating the students and changing the school culture in order to do so.