Rainy days in So. Cal.

So this is the start of the new semester and teaching at a continuation school is interesting about now. I had about half of my students leave to go to their 'home' schools, of either Dbar or Whs, but I also have a whole group of new kids who have been recently kicked out of dbar or Whs...you get the picture.
So it's so frustrating that if I start teaching yesterday, than the students that are trickling in all week are behind, but if I don't teach then I'm wasting the tax payers money and demonstrating to these kids that academics really aren't that important. Heck the class periods are already only 44 minutes long, the kids don't get assigned homework, and I'm about 3 months behind the other US history classes at the 'regular' high schools.
So in my naivity I started teaching yesterday and I'm continuing, but I am re-explaining myself over and over again. Boo.
Plus, I think the rain just makes the kids bounce off the walls, so they're more hyped up than usual. And remember, these are 17-18 year old kids I'm dealing with. They're going to be full-fledged adults (according to the state) when they graduate.
I am sorry to say, that I just don't know if this is the best way to help the struggling students. I don't know what I think the best way is, but it seems that here at RHA, we let them behave worse with lower expectations and tell ourselves that we're doing them a favor.
Yikes!