This article reports findings from an exploratory investigation of a comparatively low drop-out rate occurring in a predominantly Mexican American school district. Although it appears that numerous factors contribute to the district's ability to keep students in school-alternative education programs for "at-risk" students; counseling programs; a predominantly bilingual/bicultural faculty, staff, and administration; and, among other things, professional development programs for teachers-they are best understood as interrelated parts of a complex system rather than discrete elements that any school district may add piecemeal to achieve a lower drop-out rate. The most important factor contributing to strong student bonds with schools in the district, however, appears to be the sociocultural contexts of community and schooling.
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