TUSTIN

Good news for the Tustin Unified School District came recently in the form of its dropout rate, which is below both the county and state averages. During the 1997-98 school year, about 43 youths dropped out of school, amounting to a 1% dropout rate, considerably lower than the state’s 2.9% and the county’s 1.9%. The district, which has 4,024 students enrolled in grades seven through 12, says its alternative educational programs, such as an independent study school, have assisted in the low dropout rate.