‘Pausing for a second to celebrate:’ C.O.’s 2024 graduation rates top state figure; La Pine HS sees big increase
(update: adding video, comments from La Pine HS, Redmond School District)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon's high school Class of 2024 overcame historic obstacles from pandemic impacts and achieved an 81.8% graduation rate, the second-highest on record, according to figures released Thursday by the Oregon Department of Education. And every Central Oregon district topped the state figure.
Here in Central Oregon, the Redmond, Jefferson County and Bend-La Pine school districts saw a slight bump from last year. Crook County, Sisters and Culver had small year-to-year dips, but still performed above the state average.
Bend-La Pine Schools:
2023: 83.6%
2024: 85.3%
Redmond:
2023: 87%
2024: 90.9%
Crook County:
2023: 97.3%
2024: 95.5%
Jefferson County
2023: 87.3%
2024: 91.5%
Sisters:
2023: 93.6%
2024: 92.6%
Culver:
2023: 92%
2024: 90.9%
La Pine High School was excited to report an eight-point increase from 2023. The school has been dedicated to boosting graduation rates after falling behind a few years ago.
The principal credits the school's teachers and staff as the key to their success.
"We have an extremely low turnover at this point at this school," Principal Scott Olszewski said. "We have teachers that are really committed to being here, a staff that is very committed to being here — committed to this community and the kids that are here."
One of the biggest challenges for this class was navigating the global pandemic's impacts.
"The fact that they could start out high school in Covid and end up graduating at a high rate, on time, just further shows the resilience they have," Olszewski added.
Central Oregon school districts also report high graduation rates among students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) classes.
Redmond School District Director of Secondary Schools David Burke said, "The students in our CTE programs tend to graduate over 95%. And the reason behind that is kids really find meaning in those classes. Those classes are connected to personal passions that they have."
Oregon schools have exceeded expectations, but they say there’s always room for improvement until they reach 100%.
Burke added, "We're pausing for a second just to celebrate because a historic high graduation rate for us. It's a really fantastic achievement."
While graduation rates in Oregon are rising, state and national assessments show that students are still struggling to make progress in key subjects.
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Bend-La Pine Schools statement:
Graduation rate is up in Bend-La Pine Schools, with another big increase at La Pine High School
The Bend-La Pine Schools graduation rate rose in 2024 to 85.3 percent – the second-highest rate over the past 10 years. The rate increased from 83.6 percent in 2023 and is 3.5 percentage points above the statewide average of 81.8 percent.
Two high schools in the district had higher graduation rates in 2024. Summit High School’s rate was up half a percentage point, and La Pine High School had an 8-point increase, to 78.1 percent. La Pine’s improvement comes one year after a similar jump of almost 11 points from 2022 to 2023. Caldera High School had its first-ever graduating class in 2024, with a graduation rate of 82.2 percent.
“I am very proud of our students, staff, families, and community partners for their dedication to the success of youth in La Pine and greater south Deschutes County,” La Pine High Principal Scott Olszewski said. “There are so many people supporting this school and the schools that educate our students before their freshman year. I am proud of the quality of teachers and staff, and the variety of programs we offer that ensure all students can earn a diploma, regardless of their background, and open doors for a limitless future after they leave. Our continuing goal is to raise graduation rates, and together we know we can.”
The district also continues to see a high rate of graduation among students who participate in Career Technical Education classes. CTE participants graduated at a rate of 91.3 percent in 2024, up from 90.4 percent in 2023. Bend-La Pine Schools offers CTE classes at all seven of its high schools.
The newly released graduation rates are for students who began high school in the 2020-21 school year and earned a regular or modified diploma within four years. The district also tracks students who graduate within five years. The five-year graduation rate in 2024 was 87 percent.
In addition, the district tracks all students who complete school with a regular or modified diploma, GED, extended diploma, or adult high school diploma within five years of entering 9th grade. The district’s 2024 completer rate was 90.2 percent.
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Redmond School District news release: