BREA

Freshmen and sophomores at risk of dropping out of Brea Olinda High School will become part of a new two-year pilot program in September called “Step Up to Education” to help students graduate on time.

Once identified, students and their parents must voluntarily sign a contract requiring students to participate in classroom activities, complete assigned homework, and have regular attendance.

“The board is very concerned that we often have a group of ninth-graders who don’t seem to adapt well to the high school environment,” said Ken Kegel, school board president. “We don’t want to lose students; we want them to learn and we want them to do well in school.”