At the end of each school year, school officials in Philadelphia ask graduating seniors what they plan to do after high school.

Thousands report that they plan to go to college.

But when the fall rolls around, hundreds of those students do not end up matriculating in a postsecondary program, according to a new report from the School District of Philadelphia.

District data shows that the phenomenon, called "summer melt," has increased in recent years. In the Class of 2024, 40% of students who initially planned to go to college did not follow through on their plans, according to the district's research, marking an increase of 10 percentage points from 2016.

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In the report, district researchers say that's impor

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