HELENA — The Montana Office of Public Instruction says the statewide high school graduation rate was similar in 2023, compared to the previous year.
OPI reported a total of 9,563 students graduated in the spring of 2023 – a rate of 85.6%, compared with 85.8% in 2022. The rate has hovered between 85% and 86% every year since 2019.
The agency also reported the graduation rate for American Indian students showed a decrease, from 68.7% in 2022 to 66.1% in 2023. That is the lowest since 2019 and down from a high of 69.2% in 2021.
The total dropout rate for high school students also dropped slightly, from 4% in 2022 to 3.8% in 2023. For American Indian students, that rate fell from 10.7% to 8.9%.
“We are all Montana proud of the students, parents, teachers, and school leaders who are committed to academic success,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen in a statement. “Montana is increasing student engagement through innovation. The new MAST through-year assessment and the revitalization of our Math and Reading standards are a path forward.”
