MDE Releases Graduation Report, St. Cloud Schools Lag Behind State Average, Sartell-St. Stephen Soars at 98% Graduation Rate

(KNSI) – The Minnesota Department of Education has released its annual report on which districts are making the grade for graduation rates while others are getting a score of needs improvement.

On Thursday, the state announced that the class of 2023’s graduation rate slipped slightly from 83.6% to 83.3%. That’s a 0.3% percentage point drop for a high school diploma.

In central Minnesota, St. Cloud Area School District’s graduation rate remains well below the state average at 64.2%, a 3.8% drop from the previous year. Apollo High School’s rate slipped from 79.7% to 75.3%, Tech High School went from 78.5% to 75.3%, and the McKinley Alternative Learning Center saw its rate move in the right direction, going from 33.7% to 37.6%. That’s a 3.9% increase compared to the prior academic year.

Students earning their high school diploma at Sartell-St. Stephen was 98% in the ’22-23 school year. That’s up from the previous year’s rate of 96% and higher than the overall rate of 83% in Minnesota.

Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High saw 87% of its kids get their diplomas last year. That’s up from the previous year’s rate of 85% and higher than the state average.

To see your school district’s numbers, click here.

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