The district's rate peaked last year, when at least 170 students dropped out of Jefferson City public schools. So, the district plans to open a new, alternative high school this fall.

"It's a program that's flexible enough to accommodate those kids that have families, or that work or have other responsibilities and could not get there until the evening," said Richard Pemberton, high school principal.

Pemberton hopes the new school will help more students graduate. A district committee looked at several alternative programs, including Fulton, Camdenton, Boonville and Columbia.

"We'll have a number of students that will graduate with us that may not have graduated in a typical school setting," said Brian Gaub, Douglass High School principal in Columbia.

Jefferson City's new school will be downtown in the Miller Performing Arts Center.

Administrators say the district hopes to hire a director for the school by next week. No students are enrolled yet, but coordinators are planning for about 30 to start there this fall.