MANKATO — Mankato Area Public Schools’ class of 2023 four-year graduation rate decreased from the year prior while St. Peter High School’s increased, new data from the Minnesota Department of Education shows.
According to the data released this morning, 87.38%, or 270 out of 309 eligible Mankato West students, graduated in four years. That’s down from 91.92% from the 2021-22 year.
Meanwhile, 83.58%, or 224 out of 268 students, graduated from Mankato East, which is down from 90.53% from the prior year.
St. Peter High School saw a jump in its four-year graduation rate, with 92.55%, or 149 out of 161 students graduating. It’s up from the prior year’s 88.11%.
Nicollet Public Schools had the highest percentage of students graduating with 97.37%, or 37 out of 38, students graduating.
Mankato Supt. Paul Peterson said it’s important to recognize that students who graduated in 2023 were freshmen when the pandemic started.
“And so students within that four-year cohort had quite a different school experience,” he said, adding that it’s also important to recognize the students who earned degrees in over four years.
“I think Mankato, along with all public schools in the state, continues to stay committed to working with kids as long as it is going to take them to learn that very important high school diploma.”
The 2023 data shows that throughout the entire Mankato district, 88.68%, or 572 out of 645 students, graduated in five years.
But when it comes to increasing the rates from where they are now, Peterson said it’s important to examine all elements of their system.
“We know that there’s a lot of things that happen in a student’s education well before they ever hit high school. We need to make sure that we continue to reinforce how important literacy for everyone is,” he said.
“It really gets to that concept of equity, which is meeting every student where they’re at and helping them move along in their educational journey.”
St. Peter High School Principal Annette Engeldinger said the school district’s effort to help students with credit recovery, especially since the pandemic, contributed to their success.
“We’ve really bumped up our credit recovery program along with working with kids in the classroom where they’re at. Student services has made attendance their goal, and so regular attendance makes a huge difference, I think, in that graduation rate as well,” she said.
Statewide graduation rates also dipped from the year prior, the MDE data showed. The 2023 graduation rate was 83.3%, or 58,293 graduates, according to a news release. That’s a 0.3% decrease in the four-year graduation rate compared to the class of 2022.
The release said the small decrease is driven partly by a 0.4% increase in the unknown rate, which tracks students who were either incorrectly reported or were not reported as enrolled elsewhere.
MDE Commissioner Willie Jett stated in the release that he’s proud of last year’s graduating class.
“High school graduation is a crucial milestone for every student in our schools; it’s essential for individual success and the well-being of our communities,” he said.