By Kendall Robertson

Graduation Rates On The Rise, More Work To Be Done

Dec 12, 2018 | 3:06 PM

PRINCE GEORGE- School District 57 has released its graduation rates for the 2017-18 school year and officials say it is a great news story. The overall grad rate currently sits at just under 80 percent which is a 6.5 percent increase from the previous year. However, while there are some areas of growth school Board Chair Tim Bennett, says there is room to improve. He says the board will continue to push for continued growth, especially in students with special needs as the grad rate this school year was only 57.8 percent. That is up, however, 13 percent from the 2016-17 school year. The District is also celebrating the graduation rate of its indigenous students. That improved 8.5 percent from the 2016-17 year to 2017-18. Bennett adds SD57 has made an effort to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous students by hiring aboriginal education teachers in each school, as well as a number of other outreach programs.