FALL RIVER — By mayoral candidate Paul Coogan’s estimation, Fall River is doing a good job meeting the needs of its student population, but more can still be done.
When referencing strides the school district has made in recent years, the School Committee member highlighted the declining dropout and bullying rates and increasing number of students graduating.
However, the biggest issue Coogan said he sees as immediately affecting local schools is Fall River’s unusually high rate of student absenteeism.
“When you look at a school like Durfee, (students) can legally stop coming after 16, so it’s extremely difficult to get the kids into school unless they’re hyper-engaged and want to learn,” he said.
Coogan attributed the prevalence of poverty and single-parent households as contributing factors to truancy. Regarding solutions to the issue, Coogan said more outreach should be done with parents whose children are frequently absent.
He referred to a meeting recently held at Sunset Hill that he attended as an example of what the city and School Department can do more of.
“They talked about school and services they could get. I think a greater link like that (is needed),” said Coogan.
Concerning the city’s contribution to the School Department’s budget, Coogan said he thinks Fall River is doing a good job with funding the schools and that budget constraints will only loosen if the state successfully amends its foundation budget formula.
“I think the city is obligated to give more money to the schools, but with this change to the foundation budget formula, it’s going to be such a significant jump for Fall River that I think we’ll be fine,” he said. “I looked at the governor’s proposal, the House’s proposal, the Senate’s proposal, and all are moving in the right direction. That jump will be significant.”
Coogan also said he believes the district is already doing its best to report and address instances of bullying in local schools.
“Our bullying statistics have gone down in the last couple of years, if you look at the documented reports of bullying,” he said. “I think everyone (in Fall River) is trying the exact same things. Between the mandated reporting and the mandated actions that are required on every bullying incident, I think there’s a pretty uniform policy across the state for tackling it.”
He similarly praised Fall River’s efforts to support its growing high-needs student population, which includes children who have learning disabilities and English language learners. However, Coogan did note that he feels more can be done for students that are non-native English speakers, particularly those who are also struggling to read at grade level in their primary language.
“That’s a double whammy. We have to coach them up in English, we’ve got to coach them up in academics. It adds extra stressors,” he said.
Coogan concluded by praising Superintendent Matthew Malone’s leadership of Fall River’s schools.
“The district seems to be moving in the right direction under the guidance of Dr. Malone, and I’m hoping that all the indicators that are a drag or a negative to the district — whether it’s attendance, scores, or teacher retention — start to move in the right direction.”
Email Peter Jasinski at pjasinski@heraldnews.com.