La Pine High School’s graduation rate improved nearly 11 percentage points last year, with an especially high rate among students taking Career Technical Education classes.

The school’s 2023 graduation rate was 70 percent, an increase of 10.9 percentage points from 2022, according to data released Thursday by the Oregon Department of Education.

Nearly all La Pine students receiving multiple credits in a CTE program area graduated in 2023 – gains of roughly 20 percentage points over the prior year.

“I’m very happy and proud of our staff that we have double-digit gains,” La Pine High Principal Scott Olszewski said. “We have great teachers in La Pine, and we offer a lot for a small high school, from our Career Technical Education offerings to fantastic music and theater programs and world language.”

Olszewski credited the relevancy and high engagement that CTE programs offer for helping boost the school’s graduation rate in 2023. Program areas include natural resource science, manufacturing technology and metals, criminal justice and law, and business management.

This year the school added an Education Foundations class, in alignment with Central Oregon Community College, for students to explore the field of education and lesson planning. This spring students will apply their knowledge to a 60-hour practicum, partnering with educators at Rosland and La Pine elementary schools and La Pine Middle School.

Continuity in staffing, including administrators, counselors, and the school-to-career coordinator, is another factor in student success, Olszewski said. The small 2023 class of 82 graduates also benefited from strong relationships with teachers and support staff who are invested in the La Pine community, he added.

“With our classified staff, most if not all live in La Pine, from custodial and nutrition services to our library and front office staff. I think that’s huge,” he said.

Bend-La Pine Schools graduated 1,260 students last year for an overall graduation rate of 83.6 percent – a slight increase from 2022 and the second-highest completion rate in the past 12 years. The statewide graduation rate was 81.3 percent for 2023.

About the Numbers: The graduation rate tracks students beginning in ninth grade and measures how many of those students graduate within four years. The rate is adjusted for students moving in or out of the district.

Bend-La Pine Schools’ 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate Over Time:

• 2022-23: 83.6 percent
• 2021-22: 83.5 percent
• 2020-21: 82.4 percent
• 2019-20: 85.9 percent
• 2018-19: 80.6 percent
• 2017-18: 81.9 percent
• 2016-17: 78.7 percent
• 2015-16: 77.5 percent
• 2014-15: 77.2 percent
• 2013-14: 77.2 percent
• 2012-13: 78.6 percent
• 2011-12: 72.2 percent

School-Specific 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate for 2022-23:

• Bend Senior High: 86.9 percent
• Bend Tech Academy (formerly BTA at Marshall High School): 69.2 percent
• La Pine High: 70 percent
• Mountain View High: 86.3 percent
• Realms High: 92.3 percent
• Summit High: 95.2 percent

Caldera High School’s first senior class will graduate this June.