NEW ULM — With state graduation numbers out, the local school districts are ahead of the curve.

Out of all Minnesota seniors in 2023, 83.3% graduated. This represents a 0.3% decrease from 2022, when 83.6% graduated.

The Minnesota Department of Education said in a press release this decrease is partially driven by a 0.4% increase in the unknown rate. This is the amount of students who are either incorrectly reported or not reported as being enrolled somewhere new.

MDE commissioner Willie Jett said he is confident numbers will increase with newly placed initiatives.

“High school graduation is a crucial milestone for every student in our schools; it’s essential for individual success and the well-being of our communities,” Jett said. “Over the past year, we’ve begun implementing key initiatives such as structured literacy, Minnesota Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MnMTSS), and increased mental health supports. I am confident these tools will change outcomes for students, including increased graduation rates, and we are committed to continuous improvement in our schools and at MDE.”

As for local school districts, all of them finished above 83.3%. New Ulm graduated the most students with 145 out of a possible 152. Their graduation rate of 95.37% is the highest it has been since before COVID, when the percentage was 96.3.

Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop had 39 students graduate out of 44, for an 88.64% grad rate. This is a nearly 4% increase from the 84.9% rate from last year.

GFW superintendent Jeff Horton said they are continuously looking to hit the 90% mark., which they last achieved in 2021. He said so far this year has been an exciting year for GFW with their new two-way dual immersion English-Spanish learning program, which is a first for the region.

“The research shows that students who participate in a two-way dual immersion experience outperform their peers who take only a mono-lingual experience,” he said. “When you talk about things we’re continuing to do to support students, that’s a big example. We’ve had more students asking to participate than we’ve ever expected.”

Sleepy Eye had 31 students graduate out of a possible 35 for an 88.57% graduation rate. This is the latest step in a continual, but minor decrease since 93.1% of students graduated in 2019. The only deviation from this is an off year in 2021 when only 81.6% of seniors graduated.

Springfield had 40 out of 42 seniors graduate in 2023, for a grad rate of 95.24%. This is their best percentage in the past five years, since their 93.2% grad rate in 2020.

Though a smaller school, Comfrey had a perfect 10 out of 10 seniors graduate in 2023 for a 100% grad rate. This represents a gradual improvement from 2019 when 92.3% of seniors graduated.