July 3, 2019
NTHS graduation rate rises
By Jerry W. Kram
The New Town High School Class of 2019 set another distinction this year. Not only was it the largest class ever to graduation, it had the highest graduation rate in many years, at nearly 83 percent, according to school Superintendent Marc Bluestone.
“People want to talk about our graduation rate of 60 percent, well they can’t do that now,” Bluestone said. “We are not where we want to be yet, but we have come a long, long way. We have a better graduation rate than Mandan.”
A few seniors earned the final credits they needed after school ended for the summer, bringing the total number of 2019 graduates to 62. Bluestone told the New Town School Board that a strong commitment to the district’s alternative school and the hundreds, if not thousands of extra hours staff members devoted to tutoring and absence buy-backs were key to marking this milestone.
“People want to talk about our graduation rate of 60 percent, well they can’t do that now,” Bluestone said. “We are not where we want to be yet, but we have come a long, long way. We have a better graduation rate than Mandan.”
A few seniors earned the final credits they needed after school ended for the summer, bringing the total number of 2019 graduates to 62. Bluestone told the New Town School Board that a strong commitment to the district’s alternative school and the hundreds, if not thousands of extra hours staff members devoted to tutoring and absence buy-backs were key to marking this milestone.
