Some Pikes Peak region school districts mirrored statewide results for graduation and dropout rates – both increased for Class of 2022 graduates, according to statistics the Colorado Department of Education released this week for the 2021-22 academic year.

That’s the case for Harrison School District 2, El Paso County’s most diverse district with the highest level of family poverty, which posted a four-year high school graduation rate of 80%.

Returning to full-time, in-person instruction last year after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted traditional instruction enabled schools to provide students with the support and tools they needed on-site to help students successfully graduate, said D-2 spokeswoman Christine O’Brien.

Statewide, 82.3% of high school seniors graduated in May, a 0.6% increase – or 442 students more – over the previous year.

The Pikes Peak region’s smallest school district, Edison 54-JT, had a 100% graduation rate, with 16 high school seniors earning a diploma in May.

Calhan RJ-1 saw 35 of its 36 seniors graduate, for a rate of 97.3%.

In all, seven of 17 area school districts marked higher graduation rates than the state rate.

Considering new state graduation requirements took effect with the Class of 2022, O’Brien calls D-2’s graduation rate “a big win.”

Seniors must show competency in English and math using options from a menu of choices and pathways to demonstrate their readiness for careers, college or the military.

That’s led D-2 to place “graduation coaches” at each high school to help students and families understand the requirements and work to meet them, O’Brien said, adding that the strategy seems to be working.

The state’s dropout rate increased for the first time since 2015 to 2.2%, a bump of 0.4% over 2021.

In all, the state’s public schools reported 10,524 students in grades 7-12 dropped out last school year.

Nearly half of Colorado’s 178 districts said their dropout rates were higher last year than the previous year, according to state data.

Five of 17 districts in El Paso and Teller counties had higher dropout rates than the overall state rate.

Alternative schools in the area recorded the highest dropout rates, as high as 31% at Eastlake High School in Colorado Springs D-11, which also had all 15 summer school students drop out.

Some local public charter schools posted zero dropouts, including Thomas MacLaren, New Summit Charter Academy, Colorado Military Academy, Colorado Springs Charter Academy, Coperni 2 and Mountain Song Community School.

The Vanguard High School, Mountain Vista Homeschool and Mountain Vista Community School, all in Harrison D-2, also showed no dropouts last school year.

The situation is likely a combination of factors, O’Brien said, including side effects of the global pandemic, which contributed to poorer academic performance statewide.

Harrison’s dropout rate of 1.6% – representing 104 students – is below the state rate, she noted.

For the past five years, the district has been using an “early warning system” starting in middle school to identify kids at risk of falling behind and not finishing high school, O’Brien said.

“A plan is in place to help them stay in school and find success and connection,” she said.

Also, D-2’s leader, Wendy Birhanzel, who was named Colorado’s 2023 Superintendent of the Year, spends time in the district’s middle schools and high schools each month brainstorming with students to identify solutions to help them overcome obstacles.

“Our district’s administrators know we cannot hide behind the pandemic or make excuses for why we are where we are with regard to student success,” O’Brien said. “We have set the bar high and have always used our data to solve challenges.”

2022 four-year graduation rates including traditional and alternative schools

Statewide rate: 82.3%

Calhan RJ-1: 97.2%

Harrison D-2: 80%

Widefield D-3: 71.3%

Fountain-Fort Carson D-8: 89.7%

Colorado Springs D-11: 70.9%

Cheyenne Mtn. D-12: 95.1%

Manitou Springs D-14: 89.6%

Academy D-20: 93.7%

Ellicott D-22: 93.2%

Peyton 23-JT: 71.6%

Hanover D-28: 66.7%

Lewis-Palmer D-38: 94.0%

District 49: 55.6%

Edison 54-JT: 100%

Miami-Yoder 60-JT: 81.8%

Teller County, Cripple Creek-Victor RE-1: 73.1%

Woodland Park RE-2: 72.9%

2022 dropout rates by district in El Paso, Teller counties

Statewide overall dropout rate: 2.2%

Calhan RJ-1: 0.8%

Harrison D-2: 1.6%

Widefield D-3: 3.3%

Fountain-Fort Carson D-8: 1.0%

Colorado Springs D-11: 4.9%

Cheyenne Mountain D-12: 0.4%

Manitou Springs D-14: 0.4%

Academy D-20: 0.5%

Ellicott D-22: 1.8:

Peyton 23-JT: 1.2%

Hanover D-28: 4.5%

Lewis-Palmer D-38: 0.1%

District 49: 9.0%

Edison 54-JT: 1.0%

Miami/Yoder 60-JT: 2.8%

Teller County: Cripple Creek-Victor RE-1: 1.5%

Woodland Park RE-2: 1.6%

Source: Colorado Department of Education