Evanston High School reports attendance gains, flags graduation‑rate accounting with state

Scott Kohler, principal of Evanston High School, briefed the board on school goals, accountability indicators and recent improvements in attendance and extracurricular participation. Kohler reported the school’s current enrollment at 763 and said the school earned HRS certification level 3.

Kohler said the school has cut tardies and truancies roughly in half and that student activity participation was about 80% last year and is trending higher. He stressed the district’s academic teams, scheduled planning time, tier‑2 “double‑block” interventions and integrated special‑education supports as components intended to raise growth metrics.

Nut graf: Kohler and other district leaders flagged a separate concern: the state’s method for calculating graduation rates. Vice chairman and others explained that students who leave the district to be homeschooled or to enroll in some online programs are counted by state reporting as dropouts, which can depress reported graduation rates even when students leave by choice.

Superintendent and board members said they have lobbied state officials to change how those exits are classified; they said discussions with the Wyoming Department of Education are ongoing and that proposed legislation may follow. Kohler and others said the school’s on‑time graduation rate for the most recent cohort was about 85% and the district is aiming higher.

Ending: Kohler closed by thanking staff and noting continued focus areas: culture of excellence, assessment systems and maintaining growth for students across subgroups.