West Platte Middle and High schools reported fewer D’s and F’s during the first quarter than in the same period last year, while administrators said they are using regular check-ins and targeted academic support to help students.

West Platte Middle School reported 42 D’s and F’s this year, down from 75 in the first quarter of the 2025-26 school year, Principal Mitch Giger told the Board of Education on Oct. 21. That is a 44% decrease, though the principal said the number could have changed as students submitted late assignments.

The middle school has used academic focus time on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students to work on individualized reading and math instruction. 

After five weeks, the schedule provided about 200 minutes per student, or more than 30,000 minutes across the school’s 172 students, the principal said.

At the high school, administrators reported a 20% reduction in the total number of D’s and F’s compared with the first quarter of the previous school year. 

Kruse cautioned that the comparison is not exact because the student groups changed.

High school staff are reviewing grades, attendance, discipline referrals and counseling concerns to identify students who may need additional help. 

Students flagged for support may receive counseling, individualized plans or schedule changes to place them in smaller classes, Dr. John Cruz said.

Both schools plan to continue tracking student progress through the school year. The reported figures are early comparisons and do not, on their own, show what caused the declines.