Nearly 80 percent of Taft HS graduates attend college

by BRIAN NADIG

The fact that nearly 80 percent of Taft High School graduates attend college demonstrates the overall academic strength of the Northwest Side school, according to principal Ryan Glowacz.

“The state of Taft is strong,” Glowacz said at the Nov. 12 meeting of the Taft Local School Council. “Everything is trending in the right direction.” He added that the school, which has 4,300 students, nevertheless has its challenges, such as reducing absenteeism.

Glowacz, a former student, teacher and assistant principal at Taft, gave his first “state of the school” address, an annual event.  He took over the helm of the school in August for the retiring Mark Grishaber.

“About 90 percent of our female students enroll in college” compared to about 70 percent of the male graduates, Glowacz told the LSC. He added the disparity between the sexes is “a national phenomenon.”

Some LSC members said that they know of graduates who started a trades apprenticeship in high school and ended up getting a high-paying union job after high school.

About 77 percent of Taft’s graduates who go on to college enroll in a four-year school, while others attend a two-year school like Wright College, Glowacz said.

“We try to get kids to apply to at least three colleges,” Glowacz said.

He added, “Taft’s graduates have had success adjusting to college. … Our most recent college persistence rate was 81.3 percent, which tracks the percentage of students who remain in college past their first year.

his statistic also indicates that we are preparing college-ready students.”

It also was reported that about 94 percent of Taft’s freshmen are on track to graduate. That percentage is “higher than many of the selective enrollment schools,” Glowacz told the council.

Glowacz said that having a separate freshman campus allows the school to put in place the “structures” needed to help freshmen get through their first year and succeed.

The council also discussed the importance of reducing absenteeism. 

LSC facility member Scott Plencner said that here is a strong correlation between grades and attendance. “If you’re in our classes, you’ll get an ‘A,’” he said.

Glowacz also reported that the school has done some “rebranding,” such as posting the school colors and a picture of an eagle by the entrance, to help improve the school culture.

The school also holds Eagle Mondays. Members of the Taft leadership team will visit Period One classrooms and reward students and faculty who are wearing Taft spirit wear with promotional items, such as treats and school swag.

Also at the meeting the LSC student representatives called for more bathrooms to be opened during the school day. The closing of some bathrooms forces students to miss class time due to lines and the extra walking needed to get to a restroom, they said.

Some of the student bathrooms are closed because the school requires a security guard outside each bathroom due to vandalism and other concerns, and there is not enough personnel to have all of the restrooms open.

Glowacz said that there may adjustments in the bathroom policy, and more restrooms may be opened. “It would be good not to have to talk about bathrooms,” he said of the longtime issue.

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