District reports small drop in 4‑year graduation rate; officials outline interventions, staffing changes

School district officials presented a detailed report on graduation rates, postsecondary preparation and credit recovery during the May 22 ISD 191 Board of Education meeting, outlining where on‑time graduation declined and what the district is doing to support students who fall behind.

The district overall and Burnsville High School experienced a 2 percentage‑point decline in four‑year graduation rates from the previous year. Burnsville Alternative High School (BOS) increased from 55 percent for the Class of 2023 to 58 percent for the Class of 2024. District staff noted that many students who miss the four‑year milestone continue their work and graduate in year five or six.

"After five years, the district rate moves to 80 percent and 84 percent after six years," said Amina Aftedal, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. Burnsville High School's extended‑time rate rose to 91 percent in the longer window, she said.

Why it matters: the district uses a multi‑site approach (BHS, BOS and Virtual Academy) plus targeted interventions—credit recovery, summer school, intervention days, advisory structures and counselor outreach—to improve completion and to reduce equity gaps for student groups.

Site reports and student voice

Principal Jesus Sandoval (BHS) and Principal Kelly Ron (BOS/Virtual Academy) described program differences and supports. Sandoval said staff assigned individual meetings with seniors and earlier outreach to ninth graders through a ninth‑grade academy to create stronger routines. Sandoval also described a plan to move from a single senior counselor to an alpha split for grades 10–12 next year so workload and outreach are distributed across counselors.

"This year I sent out through ParentSquare ... the credits that your students need to complete in credit recovery before the end of the year to be on track for graduation," said Lori Mayman, senior counselor. Mayman described setting up individual meetings with seniors identified at risk and class‑by‑class grade reviews.

Students and counselors reported that credit recovery and flexible scheduling helped many graduates. "Without credit recovery, we would not be able to succeed in completing high school," said Meoni Chase, a BHS senior.

About Virtual Academy and BOS

Virtual Academy serves a smaller, more transient population; staff reported that many who did not graduate in four years had short enrollments (several students were in the program less than three months). Robin Dineco, Virtual Academy counselor, said individualized plans, daily teacher office hours, a resource room and an interventionist were added this year and made measurable differences. Virtual Academy’s course completion rate improved from 54 percent to 74 percent in semester 1 after those changes, administrators said.

BOS, an alternative program, continues to emphasize daily advisory, continuous learning plans and targeted supports. Administrators credited close staff‑student relationships, a work program that allows students to earn credits through employment, and a new interventionist position focused on math for raising four‑year outcomes.

Equity and rigorous coursework

Aftedal also reported enrollment and credit‑attainment data for college‑credit‑eligible coursework. While enrollment rates in Advanced Placement (AP) and concurrent enrollment were similar, college credits earned differed: about 334 credits earned via AP and 918 credits via concurrent enrollment in the reporting period; staff noted roughly 34 percent of students in AP earned credit while about 98 percent of those in concurrent enrollment earned credits. The district also tracks the share of students needing developmental college coursework after high school (9 percent for BHS, 11 percent districtwide).

Board questions and follow-ups

Board members asked how the district tracks credit recovery success by cohort and whether Virtual Academy is the right placement for students who arrive credit deficient. Officials said staff track course completion and that credit recovery rates are improving; they also described intake meetings used to determine program fit and ongoing reviews to move students between programs as needed.

Ending

The presentation included data on 4‑, 5‑ and 6‑year graduation rates, targeted interventions and planned counselor staffing changes. Board members asked for continued cohort tracking and future reports on how the proposed 10–12 counseling alpha split affects on‑time graduation and student outcomes.