Students in career, technical education have ‘much higher’ four-year graduation rates statewide and in Fremont County

(Fremont County, WY) – Two Fremont County school districts recorded four-year graduation rates above 90 percent in 2023: Dubois (FCSD 2) and Shoshoni (FCSD 24).

Both districts graduated 91.7 percent of their seniors last year, the Wyoming Department of Education said in a recent report.

In Shoshoni, that means 33 of 36 seniors graduated in four years, and in Dubois, 11 of 12 seniors graduated in four years, according to the WDE.

Other districts

The average statewide four-year graduation rate for 2023 was 81.4 percent, the WDE said.

One other Fremont County school district exceeded that statewide average: FCSD 6 in Pavillion, which graduated 22 of its 26 seniors (84.6 percent) in four years.

FCSD 1 in Lander was just below the statewide average, with 123 of its 153 seniors (80.4 percent) graduating in four years, the WDE said.

At FCSD 25 in Riverton, 121 of 188 seniors (64.4 percent) graduated in four years.

At FCSD 21 in Fort Washakie, 16 of 32 seniors (50 percent) graduated in four years.

At FCSD 14 in Ethete, 24 of 49 seniors (49 percent) graduated in four years.

At FCSD 38 in Arapahoe, nine of 19 seniors (47.4 percent) graduated in four years.

Career and Technical Education

In a press release this month, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder pointed out that seniors who concentrated on Career and Technical Education (CTE) “had much higher graduation rates than their peers” in 2023.

That trend showed up in the local data, too: For example, at FCSD 14 in Ethete, 13 out of 14 seniors on the CTE track (92.9 percent) graduated in four years, compared to 49 percent of all seniors.

No CTE seniors were recorded at Fort Washakie or Arapahoe schools, but in Riverton, 46 out of 51 seniors in CTE (90.2 percent) graduated in four years, compared to 64.4 percent of all seniors, and in Lander, 54 out of 56 seniors in CTE (96.4 percent) graduated in four years, compared to 80.4 percent of all seniors.

All of the CTE seniors in Shoshoni (30), Pavillion (five), and Dubois (four) graduated in four years, according to the WDE report.

The WDE press release said CTE remains a top priority in Degenfelder’s strategic plan.

“Not only will we continue to work toward every high school senior graduating, but that when they do they are fully prepared for the future workforce,” Degenfelder said.

Full graduation rate statistics are available here.