The premature closing of the Intermountain Intertribal School (IIS), a majority of whose students were referred because they were particularly difficult to serve and required special attention, represents a significant risk factor for the academic development of the students concerned. Of the 331 freshmen, sophomores, and juniors enrolled, adequate data were available for 246 (74.3%). academic delay, substance abuse, social-emotional problems, school history, school behavior, and arrests. A student-by-student risk analysis indicates that 52.3% of the student population is at high risk, and 91.6% is at either high, or moderate, risk. Most of these students are at high-risk in more than one critical risk category. Detailed weightings for critical risk factors are described in an attachment. These data and the delay in transferring critical IIS programs to other schools indicate that the decision to close the school will not serve the best interest of the target students, their families, and the tribes they represent. (SKW)