Communities That Care is a statewide program that's building a network of prevention and intervention to keep kids in school.

The dropout rate at Altoona Area High School is 5.7 percent, Philipsburg-Osceola is 5.1 percent and Greater Johnstown and Bedford are 3.7 percent. But, in Cambria County, educators are on the attack.

"All students are at risk today," said Mickie Eberhart of Communities In Schools. "So this is yet another safety net we are fortunate to bring into the area."

The program started a decade ago at Penn Cambria, and thanks, to new grant money, four more districts in the Admiral Peary Vo-Tech Consortium are getting help.

The process gathers data to determine risk factors like peer pressure and uses that data to implement afterschool programs and service projects that help students succeed.

"Nothing happens overnight, but this is a huge step in securing a better future for our region," Eberhart said.