Union High School in La Porte City where the district's offices are located. TELEGRAPH FILE PHOTO

LA PORTE CITY – The Union Community School District improved its four-year graduation rate and was one of 50 districts statewide that had no dropouts during the 2024-25 school year.

According to the Iowa Department of Education, Union CSD’s four-year graduation rate in 2025 was 95.52 percent, up from 93.55 percent in 2024.

Iowa’s average 2025 four-year graduation rate was 88.8 percent. This is the highest rate in the past five years and the first time since 2020 that the state’s graduation rate exceeded prepandemic levels.

Union CSD was one of three school districts in the North Iowa Cedar League with no dropouts in 2024-25. Iowa’s annual dropout rate reflects the percent of students in grades 9-12 who dropped out of school during a single year. Union’s achievement marked the first time the district has had no dropouts in a single school year since the state began tracking data in 1991-92.

The average number of dropouts per district across Iowa in 2024-25 was 11.

“I was extremely proud to receive this information from the Iowa Department of Education,” said Superintendent John Howard. “Our students are excelling, and this is just further proof of that fact. We thank our students, staff, and families for their efforts in making these academic achievements possible.”

Area schools also recording zero dropouts during the 2024-25 school year include Clarksville, Denver, GMG, Iowa Valley, Mount Vernon, Nashua-Plainfield, and Springville. For a full list, visit https://educate.iowa.gov/media/12672.