Superior School District Sees Graduation Rates Rise Significantly

It's a sharp reversal but one that's welcome. The Superior School District has seen their graduation rates do an about-face, rising to levels administrators haven't seen in a number of years.

School officials are calling the increase "significant". And, the details shared in the article in the Superior Telegram [paywall] spell that out. The graduation rate exceeded the state average for the 2021-2022 school year, finishing out at 94.2%; meanwhile the state average was only 90.3%.

But the real story is the way that the numbers have risen for Superior. That 94.2% graduation rate for the last school year is up sharply from 2020-2021, when the number was 85.5%, and it's even more significant when looking at the the 2019-2020 school year in Superior, when only 84.3% of eligible seniors received their diploma.

Superior School District Administrator Amy Starzecki shared her happiness with the positive graduation news:

"This graduation rate reflects all the hard work from our educators. All schools have developed goals toward increasing graduation rates. We know all our staff has an impact on a child's life, and this increase is the result of hard work by all staff to create strong and meaningful relationships where all students can thrive."

The reversal marks a distinct change of outcome for the District, which had seen falling graduation rates for many years.

That article in the Telegram details some of the items the District did to reverse the graduation rate in a positive way. From additional staff paid for with federal and state funds to professional development, a lot of work went into the plan.

Today, the "average class size at Superior High School is 27".  At last May's commencement ceremony, "293 out of 311 seniors received a diploma".

At the same time that the District is celebrating their good news about graduation rates, they're also facing a major budget deficit in the years to come.  As part of the plan to right-side a projected $4 million deficit, they're looking at the potential for consolidating some of their six elementary schools.