Graduation Rates Climb Sharply as Fewer Students Drop Out

(PUEBLO) - Pueblo School District 60 is seeing the results of a districtwide commitment to keeping students connected, engaged, and on track to graduate—and the impact is being noticed statewide.

Thanks to a focused, systemic approach to providing students with holistic, proactive support while helping them envision and move toward powerful career options, District 60’s four-year graduation rate rose sharply in the 2024–25 school year, while dropout rates declined, as well. The progress was substantial enough that the Colorado Department of Education invited Superintendent Dr. Barbara Kimzey to present at a statewide press conference held on January 13, 2026.

According to data from the Colorado Department of Education, District 60’s four-year graduation rate increased by 4.7 percentage points, climbing to 88.9 percent — well above the state average of 85.6 percent, which rose just 1.4 points during the same period. 

Just as importantly, fewer students are leaving school before earning a diploma. The district’s dropout rate fell to 1.4 percent, a 1.2 percentage point decrease from the previous year and lower than the statewide dropout rate of 1.6 percent.

Gains Across Student Groups

The improvement in graduation rates reflects meaningful progress for students who have historically faced greater barriers to success in school and earning their diplomas. 

• Hispanic students saw graduation rates rise 6.2 percentage points to 90.6 percent, well above the state rate of 80.2 percent.
• Economically disadvantaged students experienced a 5.2 percentage point increase, reaching 87.7 percent — nearly nine percentage points higher than the state average of 78.8 percent. 

Dropout rates for both Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students also declined, reinforcing the district’s focus on providing culturally responsive and proactive supports for students.

A Systemic Approach to Student Success

Superintendent Dr. Kimzey credits the gains to a coordinated strategy that focuses on engagement at every level, with all staff focused upon supporting each student individually. 

“Our progress is the result of the systemic, intentional work of our staff, in partnership with our families and community, from Pre-K through 12th grade. These efforts include our holistic approach to building stronger, culturally responsive connections with students and families, providing proactive intervention and instructional supports and leadership, and creating more relevant pathways to graduation,” Kimzey said.

Key strategies include:

• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support implementation with an emphasis upon individualized support for academics, daily attendance, and removing barriers for students’ success.  including home visits and resources provided through partnerships with area businesses and nonprofit organizations.
• Expanded culturally responsive student and family engagement, including community events such as the Back-to-School Bash at Dutch Clark Stadium and a district-wide School Showcase; transition programs for those entering middle and high school; and the addition of student success coordinators at the middle and high schools to help provide proactive, individualized supports to students.
• Increased district-wide classroom observations and coaching, with a renewed focus upon literacy as part of the district-wide “Present, Powerful and Empowered by Reading” campaign.
• Growth and realignment of Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways, along with ensuring equitable access to expansive free concurrent enrollment opportunities, giving students more options to connect learning to their future goals. 
• Expansion of district online educational offerings for secondary students, including Dutch Clark Digital at Paragon for high school students and D60 Online for middle school students that provide blended, personalized learning tailored to each student’s unique needs. Both programs emphasize social-emotional support and growth as well, offering extra-curricular events such as field trips, guest speakers, and real-world career experiences.

Together, these efforts are helping more students stay in school, see the relevance of their education to achieving their postsecondary goals, and cross the graduation stage prepared for “leading lives of purpose and impact” in the future. D60 is proud of the determined, hard work of our dedicated and resilient staff and students, and we look forward to even greater successes for our students in the future.