Graduation rates improve in county

Jan. 27—Graduation rates among students in Clatsop County saw growth last school year as school districts continue to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Oregon Department of Education released graduation data from the 2021-2022 school year on Thursday. Clatsop County scored an 84.2% graduation rate, which was an increase of 5 percentage points from the previous school year and above the statewide average of 81.3%. The state figure also slightly increased from the prior year.

School districts in the county generally showed improvement or stability from the previous year's four-year graduation figures, with Warrenton and Seaside having the largest increases.

The Astoria School District posted a graduation rate of 82%, which was a small decrease from 82.8% the previous year.

While the school district aims for over 90%, Astoria Superintendent Craig Hoppes said he was generally pleased with the mark.

"Given what we've been through, I think it's good," he said.

Hoppes pointed to the efforts of on-track coaches, who work with students and their families to keep them on course to graduate on time.

"All of our staff in the district are hardworking," he said.

In Astoria, graduation rates among male students increased by over 6 percentage points, while rates among female students fell by nearly 10 percentage points.

The data showed Warrenton-Hammond School District with a 78.2% graduation rate, which was well above the previous year's figure of 70.7%.

"We're pleased with the growth, but not satisfied yet," Tom Rogozinski, the superintendent in Warrenton, said. "That's probably the prevailing thing. Some of the things that we've put in place, maybe even pre-pandemic ... are now hopefully (making an impact)."

While the school district has historically had only one rotating counselor, funding from the Student Investment Account now allows the district to employ one at each school.

"That definitely is a big part of it," Rogozinski said. "That allows for a certain mobilization of supports in-house."

The Warrenton school district often ranks among the highest in the state for the percentage of students designated as homeless. Rogozinski pointed to it as continually being the district's top challenge.

Of the 78 students in last year's cohort, 18 were designated as homeless. The data, which is often suppressed to protect student confidentiality, showed that less than 10 of those students graduated within four years.

"That global staff awareness and staff training for all of us, from the superintendent on down, continues and will continue," Rogozinski said. "I think that's in play as well in some of the supports we're trying to provide that are disproportionately important for at-risk groups."

The Knappa School District had an identical graduation rate to the previous year, at 83.3%. The school district's four-year completion rate, which tracks students who finished their high school education in other ways, was nearly 89%.

"We're never satisfied until we have a 100% graduation rate," Bill Fritz, the superintendent in Knappa, said. "We'll continue to work toward improvement in that ... But we're always striving to do better, without lowering standards, of course."

Fritz said having a coordinator that focuses on tracking credits, counseling and planning with freshmen has made an impact on improving graduation.

"We try to engage with students to have a long-term plan beyond high school," Fritz said. " ... We know the students that have a vision for something beyond high school are more likely to complete high school."

Fritz also identified crafting a nurturing environment and building relationships with students to keep them motivated and engaged.

The Seaside School District showed the biggest jump among graduation rates in the county, which leapt from 77.4% in 2020-2021 to 91.5% last school year.

While the goal is for everyone to graduate, Susan Penrod, the superintendent in Seaside, said she is proud of the school district's staff for the improvement.

"We've been working really hard on providing interventions and providing support for students and it's paying off," Penrod said.

Penrod said the implementation of intervention specialists, counseling positions and student support specialists, which were created thanks to grant and state funding, have paid dividends.

"The teachers are working really hard. The students are working really hard. Parents are supporting those initiatives," Penrod said. "It's really good to see."

The Jewell School District was listed as having an 80% graduation rate, or 12 of 15 students. The year prior, 100% of students in the rural school district graduated on time.

Superintendent Cory Pederson could not be reached for comment.

Across the county, students designated as being economically disadvantaged and having disabilities also saw large improvements in graduation rates.