Report: Clovis graduation rates higher than statewide average

Clovis public school graduation rates have remained higher than the statewide average for six years in a row, according to data released last week by the New Mexico Public Education Department.

The 2014 graduation rate in Clovis was 3.9 percent higher than the statewide average — 72.4 percent compared to 68.5 percent.

Out of the non-graduating students in Clovis, 218 dropped out, 43 exited with intent to get a GED or vocational credential, and 61 were continuing their high school enrollment past the fourth year, statistics show.

The most recent year for which nationwide statistics are available, 2012, shows the national rate at 80 percent, according to data released by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2014. In 2012, Clovis’ rate was 78.7 percent.

In a public release Friday, Gov. Susana Martinez announced a budget proposal of $3 million to continue New Mexico Graduates Now! Initiative programs, which includes a dropout prevention data system.

Martinez also announced $12.5 million in the proposal to provide direct support to districts, schools and students in need of intervention, including funding to support district pilots for truancy and dropout prevention and to place social workers in targeted schools.

“Despite improvement in our graduation rate over time, across the state, our graduation rates are far too low and we must do better,” Martinez said in the release.

“But, we must embrace reform if we are to make long-term, substantial improvements to this problem that has plagued our state for decades. That means we should adopt higher expectations for high school students, and it means targeting resources to the schools in our state where we see the greatest problem with dropouts.”

A bill Martinez supported that would suspend the driver’s licenses of habitually truant students failed to pass the House education committee after a 6-6 vote Monday.