A slightly higher percentage of Nevada’s class of 2024 graduated high school than their 2023 counterparts.
The improvement from 81.4 to 81.6 percent, though modest, was a “step in the right direction,” according to Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert.
“The reality is this: It is premature to claim victory as long as even one student is struggling to graduate,” Ebert said in a Thursday press release. “We applaud the hard work of educators and students. At the same time, we acknowledge that our agenda is unfinished, and work remains.”
While nine school districts across the state made gains in their graduation rate, the Clark County School District remained at its 2023 rate of 81.5 percent. The school district had made gains in the years before that, jumping from 80.9 in 2022 to 81.3 percent in 2023.
Discrepancies among students
The graduation rate is higher — at 96.9 percent — for career and technical education students in Nevada.
The highest gains were for students who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, where the graduation rate increased 9.3 percentage points. The rate still sits below the state’s average, at 74 percent.
Graduation rate for students who identify as being of Pacific Island descent increased 2.6 percentage points, reaching 82.4 percent.
For students who identify as Hispanic/Latino, the graduation rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 80.3 percent.
The graduation rate for students with disabilities’ increased 1.4 percentage points, though it remains lower than the state’s average, at 68.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the graduation rate decreased by .7 percent for students who identify as Black/African American, which makes it 69.8 percent.
The graduation rate for students who are English learners decreased 1.3 percentage points, down to 71.5 percent.
Students from families experiencing poverty also saw a decrease, though by only .2 percent. It is 81.2 percent.
Graduation rate for students in foster care sits at 42.6 percent after it saw a .6 percent increase.
Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.