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Bemidji district reports 2024 graduation rate at 74.8%; administration points to program changes and data tracking for improvement
Summary
Administration presented 2024 Minnesota Department of Education graduation rates showing a district‑level rate of 74.8%, below the statewide rate, and outlined efforts including alternative programming and data tracking to raise future rates.
Administrators presented 2024 graduation rates from the Minnesota Department of Education at the May 19 board meeting, reporting a districtwide four‑year graduation rate of 74.8 percent compared with the state rate of 84.2 percent.
Colleen said Bemidji High School’s four‑year graduation rate was 80.6 percent and that subgroup rates varied: the special education subgroup decreased from 63.9 to 61.8, free‑and‑reduced students fell from 61.2 to 60.6, and American Indian students increased from 52.0 to 53.1.
Superintendent Olsen told the board the district had implemented program changes, including a seat‑based alternative program, and emphasized two lines of work to improve rates: better student‑movement data (so students who leave the district are not counted as dropouts) and systemwide changes that begin earlier than high school. He said preliminary internal data after program changes indicate movement in a positive direction though the published 2024 data reflect conditions prior to recent program adjustments.
Board members asked clarifying questions about how students who leave the district are counted and whether students who move out of state can be removed from the graduation cohort only if the district documents the destination. Administration confirmed that properly tracking students who leave is critical to accurate graduation statistics.
No formal action was required; administration said it will continue analyzing data and return with further information.
