Idaho’s latest graduation rates are a mix of good news and old news.
On the plus side, numbers went up statewide. The 78.9 percent graduation rate for 2014-15 represented an increase from 73.3 percent from 2013-14 — a figure that ranked No. 41 in the nation.
But once again, graduation rates in alternative and virtual charter high schools lagged behind traditional high schools and brick-and-mortar charter schools. And that could rekindle a debate that has played out in Statehouse committee rooms during the 2016 legislative session. Recently, State Board of Education President Don Soltman publicly singled out the alternative and virtual schools, saying their performance has hampered statewide graduation rates — much to the chagrin of charter school officials.
