Posted at: 10/06/2012 9:53 PM
Updated at: 10/06/2012 11:36 PM
By: Katie Eldred

Print Story  Email to a Friend

"We Want You Back" Campaign Helps Get Students back in School

(ABC 6 News) -- Each year about 200 hundred students do not return to Rochester High Schools. Saturday Rochester Public Schools along with the United Way of Olmsted County did something about that.

With more than a hundred volunteers their message to high school drop outs was a loud one.

"We want you back!!!!"

The goal is to let the students to know how important their education is.

"Times are different our kids have to get through school, they need the knowledge and the skills and college needs to be on the radar," said volunteer Chris Streiff.

Teams of volunteers, including Superintendent Michael Munoz, went door to door to more than 75 homes to convince the students to come back to school.

"When you go in person it really sends a stronger message , not only with people from school, but we have our community members here as well standing right at our side," said Munoz.

Because education does not just benefit the student.

"For the students they will have more earning power, more confidence, their future is stronger, and for us as business owners we'll have better employees and that matters," said Karen Mathison of the United Way.

While some knocks went unanswered, many groups were able to talk with either the students or their family members.

"It just seemed like it really mattered to him that we were there, he smiled and talked with us about it," said Streiff.

"A parent we were able to speak with was really excited that we came, she said her son only has one credit left," said Munoz.

The teams offered the students information on all the different programs and alternative schools.

"We think we can sit down with each individual and listen to their needs and credits, and come up with something that's going to work for them," said Munoz.

They plan to keep knocking and following up, until they do just that.

Superintendent Munoz did a similar campaign back in another district, he said they had about 25 percent of the students return to school.