Another year of high school is in the books.
Thousands of teenagers throughout Colorado celebrated the end of their high school education on Saturday. In Longmont, the area’s three largest high schools hosted graduation ceremonies for 809 seniors.
Who dished out the most diplomas?
Silver Creek High: 293 graduates
Longmont High: 279 graduates
Skyline High: 237 graduates
The big picture:
State graduation rates are at historic highs. The latest data from the Colorado Department of Education shows rates rose in the 2024-25 school year to 85.6%. That’s the highest level in more than a decade.
Dropout rates improved as well. Those stand at 1.6%, marking a 0.3% decline from the year prior. That’s also Colorado’s lowest level in more than 10 years.
To make things even better, St. Vrain Valley School District’s 4-year traditional-school graduation rate is the highest in the Denver Metro area at 96.8%. It also has the lowest dropout rates of any district in the DMA.
There’s always a but…
Student enrollment is falling across the board not only in Colorado but nationwide, too. From pre-K to 12th grade, enrollment dropped 1.2% in Colorado last year, amounting to a decrease of about 10,000 students, following trends seen nationwide. CDE is chalking it up to a stubborn population decline.