The pandemic caused the Manteca Unified graduation rate to drop.
Prior to COVID-19, it was a steady 95 percent year after year.
The state mandated move from in-person to distance learning in March 2020, saw the district’s graduation rate drop down to 93.8 percent that year.
In 2021, it dropped further to 91.1 percent or almost 1 in every 10 seniors did not earn diploma.
The graduation rate in 2022 was 92.7 percent.
If the 2022 rate holds, that means around 112 current high school seniors will not earn a diploma from the district’s five comprehensive high schools and two alternate secondary education campuses.
That reflects roughly 22 more students that didn’t graduate in a given year prior to the pandemic.
And although the increase numerically is small, district officials made it clear that any student not graduating is a serious concern.
Manteca for years has enjoyed the highest — or almost the highest — graduation rate in San Joaquin County.
Other school districts have experienced similar fall offs in the graduation rate in the county and California.
Manteca — and San Joaquin County as a whole — continue to have higher graduation rates than the state average regardless of the pandemic.
“We have not seen an increase in 8th grade students not being promoted to high school, due to support and interventions that elementary schools have put in place,” noted Clara Schmiedt, Manteca Unified Executive Director of Secondary Education.
The board policy for graduation ceremonies has not changed.
However, the district has clarified the process to allow Native American students to ensure that they are able to wear a feather, as an officially recognized object at the ceremony.
Students have been able to decorate their graduation cap for several years now, and we have expanded the decorations to include recognize a student’s identity along with their culture, heritage, thanking a family member, teacher, friend, post-secondary plans, graduation year, high school activities.
Other regalia, for example stoles and honor cords will also be worn by graduates this year
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
