The Yuma Union High School District has a longtime goal of achieving a 0% dropout rate, and it's getting closer.
For the fifth consecutive year, YUHSD has reported a decline in its dropout rate; a number that remains more than 3% below the state average.
According to data compiled from the Arizona Department of Education's ADEConnect platform, YUHSD’s district-wide dropout rate for the 2024-25 school year was 1.13%. The Arizona state average dropout rate was 4.47%.
Since 2012, YUHSD has outperformed the state of Arizona each year.
“I’m incredibly proud and encouraged by our district's low dropout numbers,” YUHSD Associate Superintendent Lili Campa said. “They show students' resilience, but most importantly the dedication of every educator, support-staff member, and our dropout prevention specialists who have worked hard to ensure our students stay on a path to being college, career and community ready. The success motivates and gives us hope to keep pushing forward and work towards closing any remaining gaps."
All YUHSD campuses employ a dropout prevention specialist as part of their respective guidance counseling departments. They include Yescina Cuming at Cibola, Patricia Quezada at Gila Ridge, Edgardo Gonzalez at Kofa, Rigoberto Conde at San Luis, Chris Reese at Somerton, Arisbey Garcia at Vista, and Anet Solorzano at Yuma High. Collectively, they've been nationally recognized for the role they play in keeping students in school.
“We take proactive steps to address the various areas where students are struggling," Garcia said in conversation about their success. "This is accomplished through collaboration with students, families, community partners and other methods to ensure students are provided with all available resources to remain in school.”
According to YUHSD, dropout prevention specialists are part of a collaborative effort between the counseling department, teachers and support staff members of a school to intervene with students before they consider dropping out. This includes phone calls, one-on-one conversations with students and home visits.
YUHSD provided the following data on its dropout rates.
Dropout data for all YUHSD schools from the 2024-25 school year:
- Cibola: 1.19%
- Gila Ridge: 0.91%
- Kofa: 0.90%
- San Luis: 0.70%
- Somerton High: 0.92%
- Vista: 0.32%
- Yuma High: 1.68%
YUHSD’s dropout rates for the past five years:
- 2024-25: 1.13%
- 2023-24: 1.42%
- 2022-23: 2.14%
- 2021-22: 2.85%
- 2020-21: 3.58%
This reporting is supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation.
