The Arlington school district aims to graduate 100 percent of its students.
A new Arlington Independent School District school targets students who have already dropped out or are on the verge of it and helps them get their diplomas.
"We don't want any of our students to drop out, and the more opportunities we can provide for those students, the better we are as a district," district spokeswoman Leslie Johnston said.
The school, which has yet to be named, offers students a more personalized approach, working around schedules and issues that students have outside of school. It started offering limited services this semester.
The facility on New York Avenue in east Arlington provides a smaller environment -- just seven classrooms expecting to serve 500 students per year, including adults seeking GED diplomas.
Social workers are on site to meet social and emotional needs of students.
Students can attend on a temporary basis to earn credits before returning to traditional high school or can choose to graduate from the school.
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"A lot of kids who come here have difficult home life and they've struggled with doing what they need to do to at home and focus as school or students who need to work to help support their family," said Wendy Carrington, the district's director of dropout prevention.
Peter Wrangel, a junior at the school, said he had trouble focusing on school when he nearly lost his mother.
"In those hard times, they opened their arms for me. They helped me out," he said.
Achante Hill is a senior at the school.
"They actually care here," she said. "You don't have to be scared because they're open with you, they understand your situation."
"I feel like it's just a second home for me," Wrangel said.
"They're not bad kids; they're great kids," Carrington said. "They just have life situations that have made it difficult for them to fit the box, to fit inside the norm. They're great kids, and we see a lot of promise in all these kids."
The school will also offer summer courses. It's expected to be fully operational by September.
