Mankato district's graduation rates held stable during pandemic year
Mar. 31—MANKATO — The graduation rate for Mankato Area Public Schools held steady in 2021, during what was the first academic year fully overlapping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The district's 2021 class graduated in four years at an 86.3% rate, according to newly released data from the Minnesota Department of Education, compared to 86.7% in 2020. Graduation rates within the district have stayed within a range of 86.1% and 87.6% since 2017.
While a 100% graduation rate is the goal, said Mankato Supt. Paul Peterson, keeping the rate stable during a difficult year marked by distance and hybrid learning models speaks to the hard work students and staff did.
"With everything they've been through in the last two years and all the challenges that went with all of that, the fact that in the state of Minnesota and here in Mankato our rate stayed relatively stable is really a tip of the cap to the kids who persevered and the staff who had unwavering commitment to student success," he said.
Students, staff and families are the three key pieces influencing the graduation rate, said Travis Olson, the district's director of teaching and learning. They had a call to action during the pandemic, he added, and their response is worth celebrating.
"The way the pandemic impacted families was different from one family to the next," he said. "I think the consistent piece there in the equation is our staff's desire to ensure every kid is successful."
Mankato's rate came in above the state average. Minnesota's class of 2021 had a four-year graduation rate of 83.3%, compared to 83.8% in 2020.
The statewide rate had been trending upward since 2016. A slight decline in 2021 emphasizes the need to ensure public schools in the state receive the funding and support students need, said Minnesota Education Commissioner Heather Mueller during a media briefing Wednesday.
"We certainly have work to do to ensure our graduation rate bounces back and bounces upward," said Mueller, who previously served as the Mankato district's director of teaching and learning. "We need the Legislature to invest in education and invest in our schools."
Within the Mankato district, East High School's graduation rate rose from 90.2% to 93.3%. West High School, meanwhile, had a decline from 92.3% to 89.1%. The Mankato Area Learning Center, also known as Central High School, saw its graduation rate drop from 45.1% to 35.6% — the school serves students who weren't successful in traditional school programs.
A sampling of 15 area school districts found most had lower graduation rates in 2021 to some degree. Nine had decreases, while six had higher graduation rates than 2020.
St. Peter was also among the districts with a relatively stable rate year over year, increasing from 90.5% in 2020 to 91.1% in 2021. Supt. Bill Gronseth said teachers went above and beyond to stay connected with students during a year marked by both in-person and distance learning, as well as working with students on credit recovery opportunities.
"We were really happy to see the increase in graduation rates and look forward to continue the work to always improve that number," he said.
Training teachers for online learning, plus making sure students had the technology and internet access they needed for distance learning, contributed to the graduation rate, Gronseth said.
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