ALPENA — The Michigan Department of Education announced in a press release Friday that Michigan reached a new graduation rate high.

The four-year graduation rate of 82.8% in 2024 increased from 81.8% in 2023, the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information reported.

“I’m proud of the hard work of Michigan students, educators, support staff, families, and communities to increase the percentage of students who are graduating from high school,” State Superintendent Michael F. Rice said in the press release.

“These rigorous secondary school programs–Career and Technical Education, dual enrollment, early middle college, advanced placement, and international baccalaureate–contribute to improved graduation rates by engaging students deeply in learning,” Rice said. “When students are exposed to courses of study that interest them, they are more likely to graduate–and at the same time are preparing for rewarding careers.”

Alpena High School offers 11 CTE courses, as well as a selection of advanced placement courses including statistics, psychology, and European history, according to its website.

AHS students can also enroll in the Alpena Early College program, where they can earn a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in five years.

While the four-year graduation rate throughout the state increased from 2023 to 2024, the four-year graduation rate at Alpena High School decreased by 8%.

Superintendent Dave Rabbideau stated that in 2024, the four-year graduation rate at the high school was about 75%. In 2023, the four-year graduation rate was 83%.

That figure does not include the graduation rate at ACES Academy, an alternative high school that allows students to personalize their learning path, which was 45.45% in 2024.

Rabbideau pointed out that part of the reason for the lower four-year graduation rate comes from the early college program offered at AHS. Students in that program would be counted in the five-year graduation rate rather than the four-year rate.

Other reasons for why the four-year rate lowered have not been analyzed yet, Rabbideau said. It could have to do with students’ situations that differed from 2023 to 2024 that affected the graduation rate.

Rabbideau could also not say whether graduation rates at comparable school districts in the state were similar to the graduation rates at AHS. Not a lot of public school districts in Northeast Michigan are like APS in terms of size, for instance.

The dip in the four-year graduation rate is not necessarily a cause for concern, Rabbideau said.

“I haven’t had a chance to go through the roster of students to look at individual students’ situations,” Rabbideau said. “Typically we go through that in the summer.

“Obviously we want the graduation rate to go upwards,” he continued. “Graduation rates fluctuate from year to year, there’s lots of factors that could play into it.”

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.