Wood Buffalo School Districts’ Drop Out, Graduation Rates Improving

The drop out rate in the Fort McMurray Public and Catholic School Districts continues to be well below the provincial average.

Earlier this month, the province released their Accountability Pillar results which grades districts in a number of different areas.

The FMCSD improved on last year’s 0.6 per cent drop out rate by seeing every grade 12 receive their diploma. The FMPSD’s rate also saw a big drop from the 1.6 per cent in 2018, now sitting at 0.5 per cent.

The provincial average is 2.6 per cent, up from the 2.3 per cent in the previous school year.

Looking at the three-year graduation rate, the FMPSD is sitting around the provincial average with the FMCSD well above.

In Alberta, 79.1 per cent of students graduated after being taught in grades 10 – 12.

The Catholic District had a graduation rate of 89.2 per cent, while the Public Division came in at 78 per cent.

Both come in much higher than in 2018-19.

Northland School Division

The Northland School Division, which oversees the schools across Wood Buffalo’s rural communities, saw their drop out and graduation rate improve.

In the 2018-19 school year, 9.3 per cent of students dropped out. This is down from the 10.8 per cent during the previous year.

Meanwhile, 31.1 per cent of students were able to graduate after taking grades 10-12. This is significantly up from the 14.6 per cent.

Despite the increase, the Northland School Division and the provincial government are dealing with a ‘education crisis’ in Fort Chipewyan after no student was able to graduate in the previous school year.

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