Douglas County School District’s graduation rate fell marginally and the state graduation rate saw its first dip in a decade last year, according to recently released data from the Colorado Department of Education. 

Douglas County Schools’ on-time, four-year graduation rate is 90.7%, a decrease of .5% percentage points from last year, according to data released Jan. 11. The state graduation rate for the Class of 2021 is 81.7%.

“Our DCSD Class of 2021 ended their school year on a high note. After surviving their final year of high school in the midst of a pandemic, the Class of 2021 received more than $116 million in scholarships,” Superintendent Corey Wise said in a statement. “We are proud of all of our graduates and know they have an incredible future waiting for them!”

The Colorado Department of Education said in a release that the Class of 2021 had 622 more graduates than the Class of 2020, and the graduation rate decreased by .2 percentage points.

The state’s four-year graduation rate has improved 9.3 percentage points since 2010 while DCSD’s is up from 83.1% that same year.

The CDE data shows discrepancies in graduation rates among students of color, students with limited English proficiency and economically disadvantaged students, among other student groups.

The graduation rate for students of color in DCSD was 86.8% in 2021. For students with limited English proficiency, the graduation rate was 76.3% in the Class of 2021. For economically disadvantaged DCSD students, the 2021 graduation rate was 73.3%, and 73.7% for the Class of 2020.

At the state level, the graduation rate among students with limited English proficiency was 67.5%. For economically disadvantaged students the graduation rate was 70.6%. The graduation rate for students of color was 76.1%, a decrease of 1 percentage point.

“We know how tough it was for everyone last school year due to the challenges brought on by the pandemic with schools going to remote learning and others offering hybrid models,” said Katy Anthes, Colorado’s education commissioner. “It is a relief that the graduation rate is nearly the same as it was the previous year. With the state’s dropout rate also nearly unchanged, it is a concrete display of the dedication and determination of Colorado’s students, parents and teachers, especially during these tough times.”