Kootenay Lake School District 8’s graduation rate was the highest it’s ever been last year.
Data from the 2023-24 school year shows a 91 per cent graduation or completion rate, which a media release from SD8 notes is ten per cent higher than it was five years ago.
The data also places SD8 three percentage points above the provincial average of 88 per cent.
The upward trend also applies to Indigenous student graduation rates, something Superintendent Trish Smillie is extremely proud of.
“It is so wonderful to hear about our increasing rates over the last number of years. We are also really proud that Indigenous learners are graduating at an even higher rate of 93 per cent. We know that this means our staff are working really hard to help students succeed, and our students have opportunities after high school to do anything they choose.”
The 93 per cent graduation rate for Indigenous students represents an 18 per cent increase from five years ago and is well above the provincial average of 74 per cent.
Students with diverse abilities are also completing high school at higher rates than in years past. In all, 78 per cent of students with diverse abilities completed Grade 12 last year, two per cent higher than the provincial average of 76 per cent.
Smillie says SD8 has a variety of measures in place to ensure students are on track to graduation, including working closely with local colleges and dual-credit programs to ensure there are strategies for students to enter post-secondary institutions.
“Students are engaged in trades training programs to ensure that they’re following their passions in school, and those students who need individualized support have good wraparound services with school teams and district teams working to ensure they meet their potential. We have also improved and expanded scholarship opportunities so that there is motivation for students as they enter into their adult lives.”
She adds that the school district will continue to work at increasing graduation rates even further and to ensure every student has the opportunity to graduate from high school.
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