Laconia High officials report rising graduation rate, falling discipline referrals and continued academic recovery

Laconia High School Principal Hines told the Laconia School Board on April 1 that the high school's graduation rate and several measures of student success have improved as the school implements targeted academic recovery and expanded behavioral supports.

In a presentation to the board, Principal Hines and members of the Laconia High administrative team said about 90% of course classes are being passed at the high school and that last year's graduation total rose to 117 of 140 students (about 84%), with this year's expected graduates at about 120 of 132 (about 91%). "We can say with certainty that 90% of our student population at Laconia High School, 90 percent of those classes are being passed, and so we're very proud of that total," Principal Hines said.

The update framed that academic progress alongside a sharp decline in discipline referrals and improvements in attendance. Assistant Principal Mike Boyle and Student Services Administrator Jen Sautak outlined a reorganization of student supports — consolidating counselors, mental‑health clinicians and restorative-practices staff into a common suite and expanding tiered interventions under the MTSSB (Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Behavior) framework. "We put them all together, got them some…