GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -New data released from the Colorado Department of Education is shedding light on recent graduation and drop out rates from school districts statewide and the District 51 is trending better than the statewide average.
According to the education department, 81.7% of the 2021 class graduated last year, which is a decrease from 2019 and the first drop in the graduation rate in more than ten years. But as for District 51, the graduation rate has increased over the last two years.
The District 51 graduation rate for the class of 2021 was 81%, up from 80.2% percent in 2020 and 79.6% in 2019. The district Assistant Superintendent Brian Hill attributes the upward trend in graduation rates over the last two years to the district having minimal disruptions to in-person learning.
“While our goal is to graduate all D51 students ready for college, career, and life, we are encouraged to see the district’s graduation rate trending upward, and we will continue our efforts in order to see this trend continue for years to come,” Dr. Hill said. “The hard work our students, teachers, and staff put in last year to return to in-person learning – the largest district in the state to do so – and stay in-person is paying off.”
The state did also release data regarding the statewide dropout rate. The dropout rate in District 51 did increase slightly to 1.9% in 2021, up from 1.7% in 2020. However, that statistic did stay on par with the statewide average at 1.8% percent over the last two years.
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