Statistics released by the Wyoming Department of Education today (Tuesday) show the state's high school graduation rate improved slightly for the fourth consecutive year.

Students achieved an "on-time" graduation rate of 79.97 percent in 2015-16, the highest since the 2009-10 school year when the state reached 80.4 percent.

"It takes a lot to move the needle on graduation rates, but we're doing it in an incremental and consistent fashion from year to year," said State Superintendent Jillian Balow.

"Nothing but a 100 percent graduation rate is desirable for the State of Wyoming, but seeing incremental growth every single year and seeing some of the growth in student groups that we did this year and in some of our schools that are most in need of improvement is very, very encouraging," Balow added.

Thirteen Wyoming school districts, including Laramie County School District #2, posted graduation rates of 90 percent or above.

"I'm reluctant to say that it's anything we're doing at the state level," said Balow. "It's our school districts and our schools that are doing the bulk of the work to make sure that they're improving outcomes for all students and thereby increasing the graduation rate."

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