LANSING, Mich. — “Kids that graduate Lansing schools, they have this grit, they have this determination,” said Lansing School District Superintendent Ben Shuldiner.
Shuldiner said those are just a couple traits that helped increase the district’s graduation rate last year.
“Last year, our graduation rate actually rose by 6%, so that’s a really big number,” he said.
Previously, the district was sitting at 62%, but the 6% bump now brings it up to just over 68% beating out other Michigan school districts like Flint, Eastpointe and Oak Park, just to name a few.
The district has been pushing to increase its graduation rate for quite some time. Last year, the Lansing School District’s strategic plan included a goal to hit an 85% graduation rate by 2025. Shuldiner is leaning on additional staff to make it happen.
“We’ve actually hired graduation specialists, so each one of our three high schools and online schools,” he said. “So now, each school has a person whose job is to follow up and make sure they’re graduating."
And while the district has boosted the graduation rate, Shuldiner emphasized it wasn't possible without the hard work of the students.
“These kids, they’re extraordinary, and I am so proud they graduated on time,” Shuldiner said. “They’re going to go on to bigger and better things like college, military, trade work, you name it.”
