RE-1 Valley schools top Colorado's state average for graduation rates

RE-1 Valley schools are graduating students at a pace that stands well above Colorado’s benchmark, with the district posting a 94.4% four-year graduation rate for 2024-2025 compared with the state’s 85.6%.

That gap matters in Logan County because RE-1 Valley serves 1,913 students across six schools in Sterling, Fleming, Crook, Iliff and surrounding communities. The district highlighted the result in a live feed post and framed it as a shared accomplishment, saying the recognition reflected the hard work of students, staff and the broader community.

The Colorado Department of Education says the 85.6% statewide rate is Colorado’s highest in more than a decade. It also says the state tracks graduation and completion rates at four-, five-, six- and seven-year intervals, which means RE-1 Valley’s 94.4% figure is a straight four-year cohort measure rather than a broader completion tally.

Other district data point in the same direction. Valley RE-1’s attendance rate was 92.6% in 2024-2025, above the statewide attendance rate of 91.4%, and its dropout rate was 0.5% or lower, compared with Colorado’s 1.6% dropout rate. Those numbers suggest the district’s graduation performance is tied to stronger student persistence, fewer disengaged students and steadier attendance through high school.

Superintendent Dustin Hunt is listed on the district profile, and the announcement lands as RE-1 Valley moves through the spring transition into planning for the next school year. The district’s message points to more than a single statistic: it signals that classrooms, counseling, attendance follow-up and family support are all contributing to keeping students on track to finish on time.

Sterling High School, the district’s largest and most visible secondary campus, has also been promoted in the district’s messaging. A public US News profile lists Sterling High School’s graduation rate at 89%, while SchoolDigger says the school’s four-year rate has ranged from 83.1% to 91.3% in recent years. That history shows why the districtwide figure stands out, but it also underscores how much graduation performance can move from one cohort to the next.

For Logan County families, the takeaway is straightforward: RE-1 Valley is not just clearing the state average, it is doing so by a wide margin. The challenge now is keeping attendance high, holding dropout rates near zero and making sure the district’s strongest numbers reach every student group, not just the headline total.