to a report released Jan. 30 by the Oregon Department of Education.
Those numbers represent students who are part of the four-year cohort, which started in 2019-20, at Lebanon High School and Ralston Academy. It includes both students who earned regular diplomas as well as those who graduated with modified diplomas.
LHS Principal Craig Swanson reported to School Board members at their Feb. 13 meeting that the district’s 91.1% graduation was a 2.3% increase from 2023 and a 12.1% increase over 2022. The state of Oregon had an 81.8% graduation rate in 2024, and Linn County’s was 83%.
Special education students saw an 84.1% graduation rate, a 15.3% increase from 2023 and 24.1% over 2022.
“Obviously, our staff and students and families deserve the credit,” Swanson said.
Statewide, ODE officials reported, the five-year completion rate was 86.7%, the third-highest ever reported. That rate is roughly equal to the Class of 2022, they said. Overall, the state’s graduation rate in 2024 was nearly 10 percentage points higher than it was in 2014.
“This has been quite a journey, moving through the pandemic and our staff and students deserve the credit.”
Swanson noted that Lebanon’s Class of 2024 included a National Merit Scholarship finalist, Izzie Allydice, who spent her entire K-12 career in Lebanon schools. Finalists are in the top .5% of the approximately 1.8 million applicants, Swanson noted. She is now attending Stanford.
Fellow graduate Ethan Parrish qualified for NMS Commended status, Swanson said.
Other highlights from the report included:
More than 84% of LCSD’s students with disabilities graduated in 2024, compared to the state average of 68.8%. This was a marked improvement from LCSD’s graduation rate from the previous year of 68.85%.
Swanson said students receiving special services have been a particular focus in recent years.
“The results are extremely positive this year,” he said.
Lebanon students from historically underserved racial and ethnic groups graduated at a rate of 88.6%, nearly 10 percentage points higher than the state average.
LCSD’s graduation rate for students experiencing poverty was 83.9%, exceeding the state average of 73.2%. Swanson credited the district’s Welcome Center for the success enjoyed by students who fall into these categories.
Lebanon’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) participants also were a bright spot, with 256 out of 304 seniors, over 95%, participating in one of the district’s CTE programs over their four years of high school.
Female students had a 91.5% graduation rate and males’ were 85.9%.
Swanson emphasized that Ralston Academy’s graduate rate is the same as LHS’s because they are counted together, which, he noted, most school districts do not combine their alternative school and regular high school graduation rates.
Students considered to be experiencing poverty had a graduation rate of 77.4%, students with disabilities’ was 68.8%, graduated in 2024 compared to the state average of 68.8%. This was a marked improvement from LCSD’s graduation rate from the previous year of 68.85%.
More than 95% of students in the Talented and Gifted category graduated. Homeless students had a 67.9% graduation rate.
Lebanon’s rates were higher this year than Sweet Home’s (82.4%) and Central Linn (84.9%).
The Central Linn district had a 91.3% graduation rate for female students, while males was 79.3%.
Economically disadvantaged students’ graduation rate was 72.2%, up from 70.6% the previous year.