A Closer Look at Dighton-Rehoboth’s Enrollment Claims

Superintendent Bill Runey’s presentation to the September 22 School Committee meeting raises an important question: If student retention has improved so substantially under his leadership, why does DESE report that overall enrollment at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School has declined since 2022, the first year of his tenure?

The superintendent cites increases in the percentage of eighth-grade students choosing to attend DRRHS, greater participation in Career and Technical Education (CTE), and a 100% conversion rate from CTE Exploratory into CTE programs for the two most recent completed cohorts. These numbers may demonstrate progress in particular areas, but they do not automatically establish that the high school has reversed its enrollment trend or that the administration’s initiatives are responsible for the reported changes.

First, percentages do not tell the whole story. The reported increase in eighth-grade conversion from 69.3% to 83.1% is encouraging, but the proper evaluation requires examining the actual number of students entering the high school each year, the size of each eighth-grade cohort, and the number choosing alternative educational options. An improved conversion rate within a particular cohort is not the same as an increase in total high school enrollment.

Second, the overall enrollment figures must be reconciled with the administration’s claims. If DESE’s reported enrollment figures show a decline since 2022, the public deserves an explanation. How many students were enrolled at DRRHS when Runey arrived? How many are enrolled today? How much of the change reflects graduating classes, incoming classes, demographic shifts, transfers, or other factors? Without this year-by-year comparison, the public cannot determine whether the reported improvements in selected indicators have translated into stronger overall enrollment.

Third, CTE participation is a separate measure from overall student retention. The increase from 67 to 129 students participating in CTE Exploratory is a meaningful figure worth examining. However, increased participation in a program does not, by itself, prove that the program has persuaded more students to remain in the district. To establish that connection, the administration should provide evidence showing how many students chose DRRHS specifically because of its CTE offerings and how those retention outcomes compare with previous years.

Similarly, a 100% conversion rate from CTE Exploratory into a CTE program for two completed cohorts is a positive result among participating students. But that figure does not tell us how many students left the district, how many never enrolled in CTE Exploratory, or whether overall high school enrollment increased.
Fourth, correlation is not proof of causation. Runey attributes the reported improvements to Performing Arts, Athletics, eSports, Early College, expanded CTE opportunities, student activities, and more deliberate communication with families. These may all be worthwhile initiatives. Nevertheless, demonstrating that these programs caused improved retention requires more than reporting participation percentages. The district should provide evidence linking these initiatives to actual enrollment decisions.

Ultimately, this is not an argument against CTE, extracurricular opportunities, or efforts to improve the student experience. It is a question of accountability and the appropriate interpretation of data.

If the administration is presenting these figures as evidence that its policies are reversing a longstanding enrollment problem, then it must also address the broader enrollment figures reported by DESE. The public should not be asked to accept selected percentages as proof of success while the overall enrollment trend appears to tell a different story.

The central question is straightforward: Are more students actually attending Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School as a result of the administration’s initiatives, or are selected participation and conversion rates improving while total enrollment continues to decline?

The School Committee and the public deserve a transparent, year-by-year accounting that answers that question. Until those figures are reconciled, the administration’s claims should be viewed as evidence of progress in certain programs—not conclusive proof that the district’s overall enrollment and retention challenges have been resolved.

Finally, even if every percentage is accurate, they do not establish the broader success Runey is claiming unless they can be reconciled with the DESE enrollment trend which clearly shows a decline in enrollment.

Anthony C. Azar, Ed.D.
Retired Supt. Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School
2014-15/2021-2022
Rehoboth