Graduation rates released

SOUTHERN MAINE — With the class of 2012 on its way, the Maine Department of Education on Monday released final graduation rates for the class of 2011, and while the numbers were up statewide, there were down slightly closer to home.

According to a release issued by spokesman David Connerty-Marin, 83.79 percent of all students who entered Maine high schools in September 2007 graduated on time in June 2011. That’s up from 82.82 percent in 2010.

The numbers include all public high schools as well as 11 private schools that get 60 percent or more of their funding from public sources. Of 59,776 students enrolled in all four grades at these schools, 1,891 (or, 3.16 percent) left without graduating. The numbers do not count students who take more than four years to earn a diploma, or who later obtain a G.E.D. Accounting for those students can add from 1 to 3 percent to the graduation rate, said Connerty-Marin.

Statewide, 64 schools improved graduation rates from 2010 to 2011, while 66 saw declining rates and two remained unchanged.

Locally, only Cape Elizabeth saw better results, jumping its graduation rate from 94.74 percent to 97.28 percent. Cape actually had no dropouts among its 549 students last year. Its less-than-perfect score was the result of declining enrollment as students who transferred out of the district topped those who transferred in.

Scarborough and South Portland, both of which were fairly flat on transfer numbers, each experienced a decline in graduation rates from 2010 to 2011. Scarborough dropped from 93.59 percent to 92.94 percent, while South Portland remains below the state average, having dropped from 80.62 percent to 79.22 percent.

In Scarborough, 15 of 1,088 high school students dropped out, for a rate of 1.39 percent. South Portland lost 33 of its 888 students, for a dropout rate of 3.72 percent.

In the past five years, graduation rates in Cape Elizabeth have ranged from 90.63 percent (2008) to this year’s high of 97.28 percent. Scarborough’s numbers have varied from a low of 88.12 percent in 2007 to the 2010 high of 93.59 percent. South Portland’s graduation rate peaked in 2008 at 83.08 percent, hitting its five-year low with the very next class, at 77.24 percent.

Across Maine, the state credited just three schools – Easton Junior-Senior High School, North Haven Community School and Vinalhaven School – with a perfect 100 percent graduation rate for the class of 2011. All three had total enrollments of less than 70 students.

The worst graduation rates for 2011 were reported at the Saco Transitional Program (33.33 percent), SAD 53 Alternative Education (60 percent), Wiscasset High School (61.82 percent), Lewiston High School (66.15 percent), Fort Fairfield Middle/High School (69.7 percent) and Waterville High School (69.81 percent).