Port is Perfect: High School Graduation Rate Hits 100%

Port Washington-Saukville High School graduation rates have been on a steady incline since 2005, reaching 100 percent for the 2009-10 school year, according to new figures from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

The numbers use the traditional legacy formula, which includes all high school completion within a given year. Wisconsin’s legacy graduation rate was at 89.9 percent in the 2009-10 school year, which is up from 89.4 percent in the 2008-09 school year.

High School Principal Duane Woelfel cites an increased focus on student learning and parent relationships over the past several years on reaching the district's goal of hitting the 100 percent graduation mark.

"That’s a reflection of the staff and the parents and the community all working together," he said, "and it’s also a reflection high priority for education by everybody."

The new graduation rate puts Port Washington High School in the group of 75 out of 584 public and charter high schools in the state to have a 100 percent legacy graduation rate, according to DPI. 413 of the  584 schools had a graduation rate above the state average.

Using new four-year adjusted cohort formula, Port Washington-Saukville ’s graduation rate was only at 98.6 percent, while the state’s rate came to 85.7 percent.

The legacy rate had been used in Wisconsin since the 2003-04 school year. By the 2012-13 school year, DPI will report four-year and six-year adjusted cohort graduation rate.

“Wisconsin has traditionally had one of the highest, if not the highest, graduation rates in the nation,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers in a press release. “We should be proud of this accomplishment as we work to ensure every child is a graduate. But we all know that even one dropout is too many.”

However, the report did show disparities in graduation rates in respect to racial and ethnic groups, along with disparities between economic status, disability and English language proficiency.

“We know that on-time graduation is just not going to happen for a small percentage of our high school students,” Evers said. “We want our data collection and reporting to respect the perseverance and hard work of  students, along with their parents and teachers, to complete high school even when it takes longer than four years or is through alternative programs or credentials.

“Reporting two graduation rates will offer a more comprehensive picture of our students’ transition from high school,” he said.

Graduation rates in Port Washington-Saukville and Wisconsin

School year

Port legacy graduation rate

Wisconsin legacy graduation rate

2009-10

100%

89.9%

2008-09

99.5%

89.4%

2007-08

98.2%

89%

2006-07

97.5%

89.6%

2005-06

96.6%

89.3%

2004-05

94.3%

88.8%

2003-04

94.6%

91.2%

Source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction