The 2025 graduation-rate data released recently by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) documents significant improvements in Holyoke Public Schools’ graduation rates.
“DESE’s data highlights meaningful gains in graduation rates in general, and especially for two key groups of students, including English learners, and students who are Hispanic or Latino,” said Interim Superintendent Anthony Soto. “While there is much to celebrate in the data across the board, we are especially happy to report this growth for two sub-groups of Holyoke learners.”
DESE’s data documents two positive trends:
Holyoke Public Schools’ 2025 graduation rate for students who are English learners was 75.3 percent, exceeding the state average of 71.1 percent by 4.2 percentage points.
The district’s 2025 graduation rate for students who are Hispanic or Latino is nearly on par with the state average, with Holyoke’s graduation rate of 80.8 percent, compared to the statewide average of 80.5 percent. This data highlights a narrowing of the gap compared to 2024, when our graduation rate for students who are Hispanic or Latino was 2.7 percent less than the state average.
Other highlights from DESE’s data include the following:
In 2025, Holyoke’s graduation rate was 80.8%—the highest on record since the state began reporting cohort-based graduation rates in 2006. The 2025 graduation rate is up 3.7 percentage points compared to 2024, and up 18.7 percentage points compared to 2016.
The sub-groups with significant cohort representation that increased the most from 2025 compared to 2024 included males with an increase of 7.5 percentage points, English learners with an increase of 7.4 percentage points, and students with disabilities with an increase of 5.8 percentage points.
Since 2016, the sub-groups with the most significant increases in graduation rates include English learners with an increase of 32.3 percentage points to reach 75.3%, and students with disabilities with an increase of 32.1 percentage points to reach 68.8%.
The dropout rate for HPS also decreased to 4.6 percent in 2025, compared to 4.9 percent in 2024. This is still higher than the statewide average of 1.8 percent, and reducing the dropout rate remains a high priority for Holyoke going forward.
“Our investments in instructional leadership, standards-aligned curriculum, effective teaching practices, and social-emotional support are contributing to our higher graduation rate and are helping drive improved outcomes for students,” added Soto.
“We are overall pleased with the results. Holyoke’s graduation is nearly 20 points higher than it was 10 years ago. There is much to celebrate. But at the same time we are keeping our focus on continued improvement efforts,” said Assistant Superintendent Jackie Glasheen, who will become the HPS superintendent in July. “There are still gaps between Holyoke’s student achievement data and statewide averages, and closing that gap remains a top priority throughout the rest of this school year and beyond.”
Even with the gains noted in 2025 compared to 2024, Holyoke's four-year average graduation rate for the Class of 2025 was 80.8 percent, still less than the statewide average of 89.3 percent. This most recent graduation rate set a record high in Massachusetts, up from 88.4 percent in 2024.
“The launch of high school redesign nearly 10 years ago has transformed the high school experience for our students,” said Chief of Strategy Erin Linville. “The opportunities that are a part of the redesign plan, including theme-based academies, early college learning, hands-on learning, career technical education, and alternative pathways, empower students to experience success in many ways.”
Upon hearing the positive news, Holyoke’s high school principals were quick to acknowledge how many teachers, staff, community members, and families contributed to students’ success. Holyoke High Dean Tech’s Principal Rosie Caracciolo said, “The efforts of special education staff, the Family and Community Engagement team, and guidance provided specialized support that helped more students reach the milestone of graduation.”
Opportunity Academy Principal Phelipe Johnson also acknowledged “the robust partnerships that we have with the Barr Foundation and Springpoint, which have helped us implement high-quality curriculum and coach teachers.”
Likewise, Holyoke High School North Principal Lori McKenna also acknowledged the importance of strong educational partnerships.
“The Barr Foundation has also helped us to center student voices and engage in professional development related to student engagement and agency and equitable grading practices,”Mrs. McKenna said. “The credit recovery program and our graduation coaches, funded by Mass Grad, provide much needed support for students as well.”
Statewide, the class of 2025 was the first group of high school seniors that was not required to pass the MCAS exam to graduate. Following a successful ballot initiative vote in November 2024, Massachusetts eliminated its MCAS graduation requirements, and instead individual school districts now establish their own competency determination requirements. HPS set new district graduation requirements in November 2025.