There were some eye opening results in the latest graduation rates amongst school districts with over 5,000 students. Five of the top six schools districts were southern with only the well healed district of Rio Rancho Schools (85.4%) from the north placing third. Most shocking were the results of Albuquerque (69.6%), Carlsbad (69.5%) and Roswell (68.5%) which placed around 20 percent of graduating students less than the number one district of Hobbs at 88.9%. Hobbs has remained number one for a number of years now. Only the Central Consolidated Schools perform more poorly than Albuquerque, Carlsbad and Roswell. Carlsbad's very poor performance of graduation rate is a head scratcher. They are most similar to Hobbs in minority status, income rates and a booming energy related economy. Yet perform terribly by comparison. Roswell's terrible performance being next to last is typical and expected as usual. Hobbs' most significant improvement has been graduating minority students. Their African-American students have improved from 63.3% graduation in 2010 to 89.6% in 2018. Proudly, that is higher than the student body average. Equally impressive are the Hispanic-American students that improved from 64.8% in 2010 and achieved a 88.7% graduation rate. It should also be noted that Hobbs High is the largest high school in the state. Other results are: Las Cruces Schools at an impressive 86.2%, Clovis Schools 83.0%, Gadsden Schools 81.8%, Alamogordo Schools 80.5%, Farmington Schools 74.7%, Los Lunas 73.9%, Gallup-McKinley Schools 73.1%, Santa Fe Schools 73.0% and Deming Schools 71.2%. As far as Albuquerque Schools (69.6%) are concerned that is an average of many high schools. Obviously some did far better than 69.6% but some therefore had to do far worse than that.
