Santa Cruz High School Graduation Rates Exceed State Averages

More than 96 percent of high school seniors at Santa Cruz and Harbor high schools graduated last spring, a rate that puts the schools far above state averages for graduation rates, according to data released this week by the state Department of Education.

The dropout rate at area high schools also was dramatically lower than the state average.

Graduation rates at Harbor High have been on the upswing in recent years: 96.3 percent of students earned a diploma in 2012, an increase of 6 percentage points from the 2009-10 school year. At the same time, the dropout rate has fallen at Harbor High, down from 2.5 percent in 2009-10 to 1.2 percent last year.

At Santa Cruz High, graduation rates have remained steady for the past three years, hovering between 95 and 96 percent. But the dropout rate there has increased from less than 1 percent in 2009-10 to 2.4 percent last year.

The best graduation rate last year among traditional high schools in Santa Cruz County was San Lorenzo Valley High School in Felton, which saw a huge improvement when almost every senior qualified to wear a cap and gown. The graduation rate was 99.3 percent there in the 2011-12 school year. The lowest graduation rate in the county was 86.5 percent at Watsonville High School.

Overall, California's graduation rates rose while dropout rates declined.

The state superintendent's office reported 78.5 percent of students who started high school in 2008-2009 graduated last year. That was up 1.5 percentage points from the year before.

Among African-American students, 65.7 percent graduated with their class in 2012, up 2.9 points from the year before.

Among Hispanic students, 73.2 percent graduated in 2012, up 1.8 points from the year before.

There was a corresponding drop in the state's dropout rate.

The superintendent's office reported 13.5 percent of students who began high school in 2008-2009 dropped out. That was down 1.5 percent from the year before.

The dropout rate among African-American students dropped 3.1 points to 22.2 percent. Among Hispanic students, the dropout rate fell 2.1 points to 16.2 percent.

Another 8.3 percent of students were labeled as neither dropouts or graduate. They include special education students, students who passed the GED exam and those who are still in school.

State Superintendent Tom Torlakson said while the trend is positive, California schools still need to do more. He said he'd like to see the graduation rate top 80 percent in the near future and then reach 90 percent by 2020.

He commended local school officials for improving education despite budget cuts the past few years and the fact California is 49th in the nation in education funding.

"As I travel up and down the state, I see great things happening in California schools every day," said Torlakson.