Kettle Falls' Columbia Virtual Academy sets goal to lift 4‑year graduation rate to 75% by June 2027

Courtney Brunette, principal of Columbia Virtual Academy, told the Kettle Falls School District board the school's current 4‑year graduation rate stands at 69 percent and that the improvement plan aims to raise that to 75 percent by June 2027. Brunette said the rate had dipped to a low of 54 percent in prior years and that many incoming students arrive credit‑deficient: “We don't start at the same starting line,” she said.

Brunette laid out three priorities: strengthen tier‑2 intervention and graduation progress monitoring (including a newly hired graduation coach), implement Schoollinx as the platform for high‑school‑beyond planning by the end of September, and increase equitable assessment participation and access to multiple graduation pathways such as CTE and the ASVAB. She identified measurable targets including a goal that 90 percent of students log into the advisory activity and that 100 percent of seniors complete an initial postsecondary pathway check. “One of the ways we're gonna do that is through our parent educator graduation coach,” Brunette said.

The board moved to approve the Columbia Virtual Academy school improvement plan immediately after the presentation. A committee member made the motion, the Chair seconded it, and the motion carried on recorded affirmations from members. The plan ties the school's building‑level work to the district strategic plan and relies on monthly monitoring of credit checks, course completions and senior on‑track status to measure progress.

The plan also addressed assessment barriers for students who are geographically dispersed or who face community access issues; Brunette said the school has added the ASVAB and a performance (project‑based) pathway to broaden options. The board did not request additional revisions before voting and approved the plan to move forward with implementation.