Lansing School District Achieves Historic Graduation Rate, Dramatically Lowers Dropout Rate
Lansing School District Achieves Historic Graduation Rate, Dramatically Lowers Dropout Rate
LANSING, Mich. — The Lansing School District is celebrating a historic milestone for the 2024–2025 school year, achieving a 93.81% four-year graduation rate — the highest in district history — while reducing its dropout rate to just 1.75%.
This unprecedented achievement not only marks the strongest graduation performance the district has ever recorded but also continues a steady and sustained upward trend in student success over recent years.
According to official state data, Michigan’s average four-year graduation rate is 84%, with an average dropout rate of 7.1%. The Lansing School District’s 2024–2025 graduation rate exceeds the state average by nearly 10 percentage points, and its dropout rate is more than five percentage points lower than the statewide average — reflecting significant progress in keeping students engaged and on track to earn their diplomas.
“This historic achievement is a direct reflection of the unwavering commitment of our students, their families, and our high school teams,” said Interim Superintendent Jessica Benavides. “Our teachers, counselors, administrators, graduation specialists, and support staff show up every day for our students. Their dedication, persistence, and belief in every student have made this graduation rate possible.”
Benavides emphasized that graduation represents more than a statistic.
“Graduation is a transformational moment in a young person’s life,” she said. “A diploma opens doors to college, career pathways, military service, and economic opportunity. It means our students have choices. It means confidence. It means they are prepared to build successful futures for themselves and their families. When our students succeed, our entire community succeeds.”
District leaders attribute the continued upward trend to focused strategies including proactive academic monitoring, strengthened student support services, increased family engagement, community partnerships, expanded credit recovery programs and a relentless commitment to removing barriers that can stand in the way of student achievement.
As the Lansing School District celebrates this historic high, district leadership remains focused on sustaining momentum and ensuring every student — in every school — has the opportunity to graduate prepared for success beyond high school.
