The graduation rate for high school seniors in all of San Joaquin County school districts in 2023-2024 was ranked 48 out of California’s 58 counties.

Only 85.4 percent seniors in San Joaquin County graduated compared to 86.4 percent for California.

The glaring statement in the recently released 2024-2025 San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury Report is in stark contrast with the Manteca Unified School District.
MUSD had a 93 percent graduation rate in the 2023-2024 school year.

Not only was it among the highest in the county, the MUSD graduation rate was higher than overall rates in all but nine states.

The 93 percent graduation rate put Manteca Unified back at its pre-pandemic level.

The switch to distance learning due to the pandemic dropped the Manteca Unified grad rate down to 90 percent.  The state’s plummeted to 83.1 percent.

But the graduation rate doesn’t tell the whole story as MUSD doesn’t throw in the towel when the last strands of Pomp & Circumstances fade.

There are typically up to 10 students each year who fail to make the grade needed to secure a diploma and participate in high school commencement exercises despite every effort of Manteca Unified to make it happen.

The district, however, doesn’t given up on them.

Those students will spend the summer hitting the books to meet the standards needed to earn a diploma.

And if past efforts are any indication, perhaps just one of those students will fail to earn their high school diploma by summer’s end.

It is not a unique situation that a school district like Manteca Unified still makes one last ditch effort to help students earn their high school diploma.

But it is rare.

That’s because the teaching personnel dedicated to the “extra inning” effort, so to speak, are expenses the district will not get reimbursed for by the state.

Student funding ends when their 12th grade year does.

The school board and District Superintendent Clark Burke see it as their fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers and their responsibility to students.

By the time a student in California goes through 13 years, including kindergarten, of public schools taxpayers on average will have spent $130,000 on their education.

The lack of a diploma — or the failure to get a high school equivalent — is a proven handicap in the job market.

Not only does it make entry into a lot of jobs difficult at best, but it reduces the potential for lifetime earnings.

Why that matters to taxpayers beyond their money being spent to educate students is simple. Those without high school diplomas or the equivalent have a greater chance of needing the government’s safety net which is a cost to taxpayers.

The district has a monitoring system in place that tracks student credits that are successfully completed that starts long before they enter high schools.

Identified students are mentored to get them back on track.

It takes a number of forms.

If a student is missing classes due to a need to take care of relatives, illness, a need to help financially support their family and such, they are steered to the district’s two alternative high schools — Calla and New Vision.

At the two high schools, the curriculum is tailored around their individual needs and life situations.

If they are homeless or foster children, the district is allowed to relax its high school requirements for graduation.

That means instead of completing the Manteca Unified required 275 units they must meet the state minimum of 180 units instead.

And for those falling behind that are still enrolled that attend Manteca, Sierra, East Union, Lathrop, or Weston Ranch high schools and are coming up 5 to 10 credits short, there are three ways they can complete the classes they are struggling with.

*Library remediation classes.

*Morning remediation classes.

*After school remediation classes  or adult education classes.

The morning sessions have an 80 to 93 percent pass rate. The after school and adult education options have a 93 to 95 pass rate.

Passing those remediation programs allow students to graduates with their class and participate in commencement exercises.

Those that fail those remediation efforts are getting a final chance this summer to successfully compete graduation requirements.

Actual graduation rates may be higher in California than what state data suggests.

That’s because California requires a student leaving a high school before completing four years to be tracked whether it is to their enrollment in another high school regardless of the state or if there was some other outcome.

If the district is unable to confirm re-enrollment in another high school, that student is counted as having not graduated even if they end up doing so at another high school.

In the Grand Jury report, the San Joaquin County Office of Education attributes the somewhat dismal county graduation rate on:

*High poverty, housing instability, and food insecurity that can effect attendance and grad rates.

*Unequal resources and support services across school districts.

*Increased absences and mental health need in the post pandemic world.

*Language and trust concerns.

*Shortages of credentialed teachers, counselors, bi-lingual educators, and special ed specialists.

To contract Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com