Port Angeles High School earns reaccreditation; leaders point to rising on‑track and CTE participation

The Port Angeles School District Board of Directors formally recognized Port Angeles High School for completing its reaccreditation and outlined academic and career‑training gains at a board meeting. District and school leaders presented data showing a roughly 90% graduation rate, growth on key course‑passing measures and expanded career and technical education pathways.

The reaccreditation recognition noted that formal accreditation improves college acceptance, access to financial aid and credit transferability for students, and the high school described a six‑year strategic plan tied to those goals. School leaders told the board the plan links targeted instruction, expanded CTE offerings and onboarding supports for freshmen to sustained improvement.

In a slide presentation, staff reported the school’s May full‑time equivalent enrollment at 773 and a headcount of about 895. The school said 704 students were enrolled in CTE classes, representing roughly 79% of the headcount, and that about 45% of students meet a graduation pathway through CTE programming. Leaders also reported a 90% on‑time graduation rate and said tenth‑grade semester pass rates improved by 5.2 percentage points, while the share of students earning a C or higher rose by 12.7 points to 68%.

School leaders described several program changes and expansions that they tied to those results: introducing a freshman seminar course as a tier‑1 support, launching “spring training” after‑school sessions for credit recovery, aligning assessments to state interim blocks for better diagnostic use, and expanding college‑in‑the‑high‑school offerings such as University of Washington chemistry and math credits. The board heard that the school’s first‑semester on‑track rate for ninth graders was 82% in the current year.

Presenters highlighted CTE examples: a Core Plus Maritime pathway (including planned certifications through the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association) and aerospace and construction offerings. Staff said those programs allow students to earn industry‑recognized credentials and, in some cases, enter work without additional training. The board heard that students placed at state and national competitions across music, business, HOSA and CTE skill events this year, and that local scholarships distributed totaled $526,080 with overall scholarship awards near $932,395.

The presentation closed with a senior‑year update: graduation is scheduled for June 13 at 7 p.m.; staff reported 86 seniors under active tracking, 61 fully on track, 18 receiving additional supports toward career pathways and two students who still need a competency test. Board members and the superintendent commended staff and students for the reported progress.

Board members did not take formal policy action on the presentation beyond the recognition statement; trustees asked follow‑up questions about attendance interventions and math instructional plans and encouraged continued monitoring of freshman on‑track indicators.

The district plans to post the full school improvement documents and data slides to the district website for public review; staff said more detailed reports will accompany the next board briefing cycle.