Hillsboro School District posts highest cohort graduation rate; gaps remain for Black and Native American students

Andrea (executive director) and David (executive director for high schools) presented the class of 2024 graduation and cohort on‑track data, telling the board the district’s four‑year graduation rate rose and is now the highest since Oregon began cohort reporting. Districtwide the rate was reported at about 87.55 percent, close to the strategic plan goal of 88.8 percent. Presenters said the district recorded gains for several focal groups and that some of the increases were larger than peer districts in the state.

The presenters emphasized that the class of 2024 experienced pandemic‑era disruptions: the cohort’s freshman and sophomore years included distance learning and hybrid schedules. David noted that those formative years continue to affect on‑track and graduation patterns and said the district’s interventions — expanded advisory systems, grad coaches, course outcomes, summer school, community partners (POIC, REAP), Oak Street diploma programs and CTE offerings — are intended to provide multiple pathways to completion.

Data presented included disaggregation by race and by federally defined focal groups. District staff said graduation rates rose for Hispanic/Latino students and that the gap between Hispanic/Latino and white students narrowed to roughly 1.55 percentage points. The district also reported a decline in graduation rate for students who identify as Black/African American and an especially low figure for students identified as American Indian or Alaska Native — with suppressed counts when n<10 for confidentiality. David said the small raw numbers in the American Indian/Alaska Native group create volatility and that the district will consult tribal leaders as part of its integrated guidance plan; the district said it has scheduled a meeting with tribal leaders to discuss supports and recommendations.

Administrators said on‑track metrics improved in some grade transitions: second‑semester interventions reduced the number of students off track going into 10th grade by about nine percentage points in the cohort described. The district said summer school is an important tool and that grants and partnerships expanded course recovery options; administrators reported Oak Street and the Pathway Center saw increased attendance and credit attainment.

Board members and student representatives spoke about the continuing effects of pandemic closures on middle and high school cohorts. A student representative described the lived experience of abrupt school closures and distance learning and urged the board to keep those impacts in mind. Administrators said they will continue to track cohort and on‑track data, refine intervention strategies (including course outcomes to pinpoint skill gaps) and present updated accountability and 166 plan materials at future meetings.

Board members thanked the staff for the report and for district efforts that drove the overall gains, while noting the need for continued targeted work for Black students and other focal groups where outcomes lag.