What Happened Here—and What Can We Do About It?
According to Brattleboro Union High School data, 31 of 154 students in a recent class—about twenty percent—did not graduate, earn a GED, or remain on a six-year path toward graduation.
Thirty-one young people.
The question we should be asking is not simply, “What went wrong at school?” It is: What happened in the lives of these young people—and what could our community have done differently?
Schools often receive the most scrutiny when students struggle. That makes sense: attendance, test scores and graduation rates are school data. But many of the obstacles that keep young people from succeeding happen outside the classroom and are far beyond a school’s control.
A student may be living with housing instability, poverty, untreated mental health needs, family trauma, substance use in the home, unreliable transportation, or a lack of necessities. They may be caring for siblings, working to support their family, or avoiding school because they need dental care, clean clothes, or shoes that fit. These are not problems a teacher can solve alone.
We see the consequences of unresolved suffering throughout Brattleboro. People are living outside. Public substance use has become increasingly visible. Our community has a robust safety net, and many dedicated people work every day to help neighbors survive immediate crises. But emergency assistance alone cannot create long-term stability or address everything that brought someone to that point.
What happened along the way?
We know the opioid epidemic caused enormous harm, and there is plenty of blame to cast for how it began and spread. But addiction rarely exists in isolation. Trauma, poverty, mental illness, disconnection, and hopelessness can accumulate over many years. By the time someone is living outside or actively using substances in public, we are often witnessing the end of a long story—not its beginning.
What if we intervened much earlier?
At United Way of Windham County, our theory of change is straightforward: If children stay engaged in school, they remain connected to the adults, services, relationships and opportunities available through both schools and community partners. When children are present and connected, they are more likely to succeed. Over time, that can mean less poverty, less addiction, less isolation and less human suffering.
School attendance is not the whole solution, but it is an important place to begin.
This year, United Way is working with schools and community partners to help children and families remain engaged. We are strengthening the network around them, clarifying who can help with what, and looking for both measurable results and accountability. This is not about blaming parents or forcing schools to carry another responsibility. It is about recognizing that keeping kids connected is a community responsibility.
We are also raising flexible funds that schools can use for creative, immediate problem-solving. Perhaps a particularly challenged group of students would benefit from group therapy. Maybe a child needs dental treatment before they can concentrate in class. Another may need cleats to join a team, transportation to get to school, or help washing clothes. These may seem like small things, but sometimes a relatively small barrier stands between a young person and the place where they feel capable, connected, and known.
Alongside this work, we are launching a community-wide public awareness campaign about the importance of showing up to school. We want young people to hear the same message from every direction—from families, schools, coaches, employers, health providers, neighbors, and community organizations.
Showing up matters.Belonging matters. And when showing up is difficult, help should be available.
Twenty-three students should not become a statistic we briefly discuss and then set aside. Each number represents a young person with a story, strengths, and a future that is still unfolding.
Instead of asking only why they did not succeed, we should ask: What got in their way? Who noticed? What help was available? And how can we respond sooner next time?
Schools cannot do this alone. Families cannot do it alone. Human-service organizations cannot do it alone.
But together, we can build a community in which fewer young people fall through the gaps—and fewer adults reach a point where suffering is their most visible reality.