Choices

Every year our local high school students are faced with the choice to either stay in school or drop out. A high drop out rate is bad for any area for several reasons. For one, many new home buyers seek strong school districts for their children to attend. A high percentage of drop outs is a leading indicator to parents of the quality of education provided by the entire school system. A high drop out rate in an area also indicates that there is low skill level of workers. Existing businesses to hire knowledgeable employees and new industries also look to set up new locations in areas with a high skill level.

The Boaz Area chamber of Commerce sees that it is both economically and socially beneficial for our students to stay in school and receive their high school diplomas. In response to this concern we have organized the Choices program to be taught in our Boaz 8th grade class rooms going on 4year. The Rotary club has always sponsored this program and we have received wonderful feed back from students.

The Choices Program is interactive and teaches students through real life scenarios how difficult it is to live on a below high school level education. For example, students are asked to look up local apartment listings and then calculate how many hours a week they would have to work at a minimum wage rate to make rent. They are also asked to think of what they want to be when they grow up and then figure in what kind of an education that will require.

Fortunately, the Boaz Area has wonderful volunteers that have donated their time and have made this a huge success. As a community we are building a stronger future.