Silas High School’s Class of 2025 just got a page in the record book by reaching a 98 percent graduation rate, the highest of any comprehensive high school in Tacoma Public Schools history.

The school district’s overall on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2025 was 91.4 percent, far exceeding the state average of 82.6 percent. Since 2014, Tacoma Public Schools has consistently outperformed the state graduation rate, reflecting a sustained commitment to student success and a community that rallies around its schools.

Silas team efforts

Silas staff credit the achievement to intentional teamwork, early intervention and an unwavering belief in students.

“It’s a whole-school effort,” said Principal Bernadette Ray. “We hold each other and our students accountable, and we are making connections with each student.”

For counselors, the historic rate represents years of dedication that extend well beyond a student’s senior year.

“98 percent is important and historic because it helps show all the hard work and time put in by all staff who have come across these students from kindergarten until they graduated,” said Silas counselor Sharice Madison. “Staff believed in these students and stuck with every student.”

That commitment begins early. Madison emphasized that the Silas team does not wait until students reach 12th grade to intervene.

“We’re checking in often with ninth, 10th and 11th-grade students who may be falling behind,” she said.

Counselor Rich Coleman echoed that sense of urgency and expectation.

“I have the inflexible and dogmatic mantra that ‘not graduating is not an option,’” Coleman said. “I say this out loud, and I take steps to convey and convince all students who are in danger of not graduating that this is the non-negotiable expectation.”

The Silas team also points to flexible pathways that help students stay on track or catch up when challenges arise. Summer school credit retrieval sessions and Tacoma Flex, which allows students to take up to two online courses, provide additional support and options for students who need them.

Achievements from the 2024-2025 school year

Across the school district, TPS students are not only earning diplomas, they are graduating prepared for college, careers and leadership in their communities. During the 2024–2025 school year, students achieved:

• 1,825 Verified Letters of Acceptance to the Next Institution (VANI)
• 158 Seals of Biliteracy for the Class of 2025
• 29,605 College in the High School college credits earned
• 18,327 Dual college credits
• 3,729 Running Start college credits, including 55 graduates who earned an associate degree
• 2,690 Advanced Placement exams taken
• 424 International Baccalaureate® courses completed
• 3,720 industry-recognized credentials earned
• 679 paid job experiences

These accomplishments reflect the strength of the Tacoma community. Schools do not do this work alone. Students are supported by hundreds of community partnerships from preschool through 12th grade and beyond, and voters in this community have consistently demonstrated their commitment to education through school levies and construction bonds.

As Tacoma Public Schools celebrates a record-breaking year, the focus remains on what comes next. Graduation is not just a destination; it is a powerful steppingstone to greater opportunity, and a promise to keep building pathways for every student’s future.