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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Wisconsin’s high school class of 2024 graduated at a rate exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
In 2024, 91.1% of high schoolers graduated on time — an increase from 90.5% a year ago. It’s the highest rate since Wisconsin began publishing data in 2010 and continues a recent trend, coinciding with students having more time to acclimate to high school post-COVID.
“Over time, the last three years of high school, we were able to get the whole high school experience,” said Zach Curran, a 2024 graduate of Little Chute High School. “We made sure we were involved in clubs and sports, stuff like that. I definitely think it picked up after that [2020-21] year.”
Curran now attends UW-Milwaukee.
“I think that we’re back on track,” said Curran. “We’ve had enough school experience before COVID that we were able to pick back up right where we left off.”
Little Chute’s graduation rate has ticked up over the past four years, but the Fox Valley’s biggest school district — Appleton Area School District — hit a rate of 88.1%, their highest mark since 2018. They’ve now increased each year since 2021, when that number sat at 84.8%.
Although their truancy issue persists, Appleton has improved its graduation rate along with the statewide gains.
“We have created some alternative programs within our high school, to be able to help close ways in which students find their pathway to graduation,” said Appleton Area School District Assistant Superintendent of High Schools Michael Hernandez. “And we’ve been really focused on just the work that goes on in the classroom.”
Click here to see full data on high school graduation rates in Wisconsin.
2024 Graduation Rates:
- Appleton: 88.1%
- Ashwaubenon: 92.1%
- De Pere: 97.9%
- Green Bay: 87.6%
- Howard-Suamico: 93.4%
- Kaukauna: 95.2%
- Little Chute: 95.0%
- Menasha: 93.8%
- Neenah: 96.4%
- Pulaski: 95.2%
- West De Pere: 98.6%
- Wrightstown: 96.2%
Appleton Area School District’s four-year graduation rate was 88.1% last year, the highest rate since 2018. They outpaced Green Bay, the only school district larger in Northeast Wisconsin, who did improve by 3% in 2024.
Appleton Area School District graduation rates by year:
- 2024: 88.1%
- 2023: 86.7%
- 2022: 86.5%
- 2021: 84.8%
- 2020: 87.1%
- 2019: 87.1%
- 2018: 88.6%
“Ultimately, as an educational institution, we want to prepare students for college and/or career-ready [programs],” said Hernandez. “You need to graduate in order to do that.”
That means graduation rates are a pretty important metric for a school district.
“I’d probably say it’s one of the most important things for me,” said Hernandez.
Note: Graduation rate refers to percent of students who graduate. Four-year graduation rate refers to percent of students who graduate within four years of beginning high school.
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