The graduation rate for the class of 2023 improved slightly over the previous class, the Great Falls Public Schools board learned during their April 9 meeting.

Heather Hoyer, incoming superintendent, gave the board their annual report on graduation rates and dropouts.

The dropout rates are calculated by the number of students in that class for the October count.

The cohort graduation rate, which Hoyer said is the most comprehensive figure, is the number of graduates plus dropouts and fifth year students.

GFPS graduation rate down slightly from last two years [2022]

The graduation rate for the class of 2023 is 82.99 percent, up from the previous year’s 82.7 percent.

Hoyer said it’s a slight increase that isn’t statistically significant, but an upward trend since COVID.

The rate for the class of 2019 was 83.38 percent, that dropped slightly to 82.95 the following year and further to 81.71 for the class of 2021.

The district is still lagging behind the state’s graduation rate, which was 85.6 percent.

For the class of 2022 and 2023, there were 116 cohort dropouts.

In 2022, that included 17 students in their fifth year and 16 in 2023.

GFPS graduation rate up 3.35 percent over previous year [2020]

That means those seniors didn’t graduate on time, but are still enrolled and working to complete their diplomas, Hoyer said.

“There are students who will need more than five years,” she told the board.

Over graduation rates have been fairly flat since 2017, according to Hoyer’s charts, but they also broke down graduation rates amongst specific groups of students.

She said this data helps staff look at where interventions are needed.

• free/reduced lunch students, graduation rate was 74.6 percent in 2017, has dropped to 69.19 in 2023
• English learners, graduation rates was 65.45 percent in 2017, dropped to 56.62 in 2023
• homeless, graduation rates was 55.88 percent in 2017, down to 44.07 in 2023 with a big drop from 63.79 in 2022
• special education, graduation rate was 63.75 in 2017, down 64.44 in 2023

Hoyer said there had been an increase among special education students, but it’s dropping again so Lance Boyd, who oversees student services, is working to address that.

She said the drop among homeless students isn’t surprising due to the significant impact of COVID and the economy, but “it’s heartbreaking. It’s hard to see, because I see the work that goes into saving every one of those kids.”

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Hoyer said they’re seeing the impacts of COVID on students who were freshman and sophomores those years.

The district also tracks the rates of students going to college and impact of dual credit programs to determine if they’re worth the investment.

The district also offers honors and Advanced Placement courses, internships and pre-apprenticeships.

Hoyer said dual enrollment classes help students get used to the rigor of college courses and also get them comfortable that they can be successful in college.

Of the students in dual enrollment courses, about 70 percent will try college, she said.

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Data also shows that students who took a math class every year of high school enrolled in college at higher rates and returned for a second year, so it’s important that the district offer math courses, Hoyer said.

Career and technical education programs are also helping students complete their diplomas and get them on career paths, even if they aren’t planning to go to college.

In GFPS, 96.9 of the students with a CTE concentration graduation on time with their cohort.

Hoyer said that each student exists the path to graduation for a different reason and will resume that path for their own reason, which is why community partnerships with nonprofits and service providers are important.

GFPs discusses school safety, SRO program, youth behaviors [2021]

She said that of those who dropout that the district can locate to ask questions, addiction and depression were among the top three reasons.

Bill Bronson, school board member, said that he’s always interested in determining the reasons for dropouts and that he’s disturbed by trends among youth using marijuana and who in his personal opinion, “have a much more lackadaisical view of drug use.”

Hoyer said marijuana is impactful for students and lowers their sense of urgency. They’re also impacted when family members are using.

She said that if parents are using, they see teenages who leave school because they take over parenting their siblings.

“It’s really hard to not support a student who says I have to drop out to raise my little brother or sister,” Hoyer said.

District officials tell those students that school will be there when they’re ready to come back.

Kim Skornogoski, board member, said that while there’s been several years of flat numbers, further back there were higher numbers of dropouts and there was “significant” work to improve those numbers by the district and the community.

Students dropping out, she said, “are facing problems that are unimaginable to probably everyone in this room. We have to realize the challenges our students are facing.”

She said that when the district was closed during COVID, she feared what that would mean for graduation rates and was happy to see that number climbing back up.