NIAGARA FALLS, NY — Niagara Falls High School's graduation rate was well below the New York State average until 2023 when it increased from 67% to 85.5%.
Niagara Falls School District Superintendent Mark Laurrie told 7 News that the increase is due to the high school's focus on programming that the students want to learn through vocational training and credit recovery classes.
"We put creative programming in place that speaks to the fact that every one of these 2,000 students is in a different learning spot and needs a different program," said Laurrie.
The Niagara Falls High School graduation rate rose 19% between 2019 and 2023 and now sits just above the state average of 85%.
Although it has increased, Laurie says he is not satisfied and hopes to have the graduation rate in the 90 percentile by next year.
Laurie says that the students learn a lot more than just the basic subjects at the high school.
"They learn the ability to interact with each other I am even more proud of shouldn't be lost," said Laurrie.
