Last year, only 40 percent of the students at Paul Robeson graduated in four years, and the Department of Education says that’s the primary reason the school should be closed. In 2007-08, the graduation rate was 56.7%. In 2008-09, the graduation rate fell precipitously to 40.1%. Credit accumulation rates are also low:In 2008-09, only 58.4% of first-year students accumulated 10 or more credits. Low expectations, low attendance rates, and low graduation rates are all reasons the Department of Education cites for why it wants to close the high school. Twenty-one schools have been told that the Department of Education will begin their phase out in September 2010. Fifteen of those schools — a completely disproportionate number — were high schools. They will phase out in 2013.
Paul Robeson’s Peace Lab filmed at the high school in December. This is an excerpt of our documentary about the phasing out of Robeson.
Researched by Celeste
