Countryside High School has launched a new program to motivate more seniors to graduate on time.
The program is called "On Track" and it offers incentives to seniors who are on track to graduate. Through the program, students get special perks from time to time. Those who are not on track will also be assigned a mentor to encourage them to get their grades in line.
Savannah Leduc is one of the students who is taking advantage of the program. Leduc was worried she may not have the grades to graduate.
"I went after school to different teachers and asked for help," she said.
Leduc isn't the only one with the dilemma. When school started, Assistant Principal Frederick Whitaker gave seniors a sobering statistic, telling them 50 percent were not on track to graduate.
The seniors laughed, thinking it was a joke, but now months later, a lot more of them are taking that commitment seriously thanks to the On Track program.
The perks include hot chocolate and cookies, and those who are on the list for graduation receive shirts that say "I Am On Track 2015."
Whitaker says dropping out is an issue at his school, and that On Track aims to change that.
"It's hard to motivate some of these kids and that's what this program is for is to try to motivate those kids," he said.
Whitaker said the program is slowly changing the culture at Countryside High. About 70 percent of seniors are on track to graduate. That's up from 63 percent this time last year.
The goal is to have an 87 percent graduation rate at Countryside High by May.