Graduation Rate
Vermont's Foster-Care Graduation Rate Was 46%, 36 Points Below the State
Vermont's 2025 four-year graduation rate was 46% for students in foster care, 36 points below the statewide rate.
Vermont
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Vermont, grounded in Vermont Department of Education data.
Addison Central's Chronic-Absence Rate Fell 13.7 Points, Vermont's Largest Reported Drop
Addison Central's chronic-absence rate fell from 32.7% to 19.0% in 2023-24, the largest decline among 33 Vermont district IDs with usable rates in both years.
Vermont's Four-Year Graduation Rate Fell From 85% to 82%
Vermont's package-backed four-year graduation rate declined from 85% in 2018 to 82% in 2025 across seven published state points.
Vermont's Six-Year Graduation Cushion Shrunk From 7 Points to 2
Vermont's six-year graduation rate fell faster than its four-year rate, shrinking the extra-time gain from 7 points to 2.
Orleans Southwest and Winooski Had Vermont's Lowest Local Graduation Rates
Orleans Southwest and Winooski had Vermont's two lowest local four-year graduation rates in 2025, but their recent paths diverged.
More Coverage
Graduation Rate
Burlington's Graduation Rate Fell 13 Points in Two Years
Burlington's four-year graduation rate fell from 84.2% in 2023 to 71.2% in 2025, Vermont's largest local decline.
Equity
Kingdom East and St Johnsbury Went From Majority-Absent to Below Average in Two Years
Kingdom East and St Johnsbury went from majority-absent to below the state average in two years, achieving the largest turnarounds in Vermont.
Absence
Vermont's 40-Point Attendance Gap: Same Size, Opposite Outcomes
Harwood (17% chronic rate) and Rutland City (56.7%) enroll nearly the same number of students, but a 39.7 percentage-point gap separates their attendance outcomes.
Equity
One in Four of Vermont's Chronically Absent Students Receives Special Education Services
Students receiving special education services make up 25.4% of Vermont's chronically absent and recovered just 24.8% from the COVID peak, far less than their peers.
Absence
19 Vermont Districts Improved Their Chronic Absenteeism Every Year Since the 2022 Peak
Three-quarters of Vermont districts with complete data cut their chronic rate in consecutive years, though many remain well above pre-COVID baselines.
District Spotlight
Kingdom East Cut Its Chronic Absenteeism Rate by 28 Points in Two Years
Vermont's Northeast Kingdom district went from 50.6% to 22.5% chronic absenteeism, the largest turnaround in the state, with nearby St. Johnsbury showing a similar pattern.
Equity
Vermont's Chronic Absenteeism Recovery Is Real, But Slower for Students Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch
Vermont's chronic absenteeism among students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch fell from a 2023 peak, but recovery has been slower than for their peers.
Absence
Two Vermont Districts Where Most Students Are Chronically Absent
Rutland City at 56.7% and Winooski at 52.5% are Vermont's only districts where a majority of students miss 10% or more of school days.
District Spotlight
Champlain Valley Cut Its Chronic Absenteeism Rate in Half — to Under 10%
Vermont's largest district dropped chronic absenteeism from 21.3% to 9.9% in two years, using student engagement surveys to guide its approach.
Equity
Winooski's 23-Point Chronic Absenteeism Spike Coincides With Immigration Crackdown
Winooski SD, Vermont's most diverse district, saw chronic absenteeism surge from 29% to 53% in one year as immigration enforcement heightened student anxiety.
