Waltham School Committee Approves Playground, Confronts 15.5 Percent Dropout Rate

WALTHAM — March 18, 2026 — Waltham School Committee confronts a 15.5 percent annual dropout rate at Waltham High School and approves an inclusive playground project. Superintendent Dr. Hilda Mendonca and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Conley presented state data showing the annual dropout rate climbed from 9.9 percent in 2024 to 15.5 percent in 2025 across a pool of 498 students — while a separate cohort measure placed the dropout rate at 6.7 percent among 345 tracked students. The committee was told that English language learner students dropped out at a rate of 34.4 percent, up from 21.4 percent the prior year. The administration outlined an emergency response plan — including a new Attendance and Dropout Prevention Team, a proposed graduation and attendance specialist, and a district-wide withdrawal coding overhaul — developed in the single week since the data became public. Mayor Jeannette McCarthy pressed for an analysis of whether Valor High School, the district's alternative school, should be restructured from a standalone school into a program, noting that DESE reported 16 Valor dropouts last year, a 32 percent dropout rate for that school.