Students in Manteca Unified have a better chance of graduating high school than many of their counterparts elsewhere in San Joaquin County, the rest of California, and the nation.
The 2014 graduation rates — the latest released by the California Department of Education — puts Manteca Unified graduation rate as a whole at 92.9 percent. That is up from 92 percent in 2013 when Manteca Unified led the entire county.
In 2014, Ripon Unified edged Manteca Unified out for top honors in San Joaquin County with 93 percent, up from 90.3 percent in 2013.
Lincoln Unified was at 92.9 percent in 2014 to match Manteca Unified. Tracy was at 89.9 percent, Lodi Unified at 80.6 percent, and Stockton Unified at 76.4 percent.
California’s 2014 high school graduation rate was 80.8 percent, up from 74.7 percent in 2010. Nationally the high school graduation rate is at a record 81 percent according to the U.S. Department of Education.
For individual comprehensive high schools, Manteca Unified four-year graduation rates from data gleaned from the California Department of Education are:
96.6% for Lathrop High.
96.4% for East Union High.
96.0% for Sierra High
95.7% for Manteca High.
95.3% for Weston Ranch High
Manteca Unified is continuing to work at increasing the graduation rate by focusing on other education paths besides for college bound students such as vocational training.
District officials note 60  percent of Manteca Unified grads go on to a two-year post-secondary school or community college. Another 20 percent go to four-year institutions.
The remaining 20 percent go into the military, the family business, start working, or end up in prison.
Of the graduates going on to four-year programs from Manteca Unified, 95 percent graduate. The students who go on to two-year programs such as community colleges and vocational schools have a completion rate of around 50 percent.
The Manteca  Unified endeavor is seeking to target those that don’t complete a two-year post secondary course of study and those who are trying to go straight to the workforce.
Vocational education is the path least traveled by most California secondary schools. That isn’t the case in Manteca Unified. Seven new vocational programs were added this school year addition to three be.tech based programs including, first responders, culinary arts and fabrication as well as the school farm and Regional Occupation Program.
The seven new programs are health care plus the hospitality industry at Weston Ranch High; advanced engineering and manufacturing plus coding and gaming at Lathrop High; sports business careers such as broadcasting and sports medicine at Manteca High; and farm to fork food endeavors plus web design at Sierra High.
The seven new programs along with be.tech mirror industries that are large job generators in the 209 region.