Native graduation rates hit high as leaders warn cuts could slow gains
BIE high schools reached a 79% four-year graduation rate in 2025, but tribal leaders say federal changes could strain schools still trying to improve.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
High schools in the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education system recorded their highest four-year graduation rate in 2025, reaching 79%, according to the Associated Press. The gain marks a sharp change for a school network that serves Native students across the country, while tribal leaders warn that federal cuts and agency upheaval could put the progress at risk.
The BIE oversees 183 primary and secondary schools serving more than 40,000 students. In 2015, AP reported, a little more than half of BIE high school students finished within four years.
Agency officials said part of the increase reflects better data. Carmelia Becenti, the BIE’s chief academic officer, told AP that schools had used inconsistent methods for years, including counting some students who transferred elsewhere as dropouts.
The bureau began standardizing graduation reporting in 2018. An AP review of BIE data found graduation rates have risen 55% since the new standards began taking effect, with nine secondary schools reporting increases of 100% or more.
Career programs lift some schools
Educators also pointed to changes inside schools, especially at campuses run by tribes with federal support. Fewer than one-third of BIE schools are operated directly by the agency; the rest are tribally controlled.
At Chief Leschi Schools on the Puyallup Reservation in Washington, superintendent Don Brummett told AP the school had placed too much emphasis on college preparation and not enough on students who wanted to work after graduation. The school started a career and technical program in 2020 with funding from the Puyallup Tribal Council.
Gerald Dillon, an 18-year-old Chief Leschi graduate, told AP that career training changed how he felt about school. During his senior year, he worked as a teaching assistant in a second grade classroom, an experience that helped push him toward considering college for a teaching degree.
Chief Leschi reported its four-year graduation rate rose from 53% in 2019 to 87% in 2025. Brummett said students have used career pathways in areas including health sciences, education and fisheries management.
At Choctaw Central High School, which is operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw, principal Alaric Keams told AP that a virtual learning option introduced during the pandemic helped students with jobs or family duties stay on track. The school’s graduation rate rose from about 70% to 93%, and the district kept virtual learning available after lockdowns ended.
Federal changes draw concern
Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland told AP the graduation gains also show the Trump administration’s commitment to Native students, including work on teacher training. Tribal leaders and education advocates, however, said other administration actions could weaken schools that remain underfunded or understaffed.
Those concerns include the planned dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, staff reductions tied to DOGE, and repeated threats of deep funding cuts, AP reported. In November 2025, the Education Department began transferring oversight of dozens of programs serving Native students to the BIE.
At a tribal consultation meeting in Washington in February, tribal leaders objected to the shift, saying the BIE already lacks enough staff for its current duties. Several also said the department failed to seek tribal input before acting, according to AP.
Jason Dropik, executive director of the National Indian Education Association, told AP that sudden federal changes can delay services for students. He cited a Trump administration order that sought to reshape the BIE into a school choice system before tribal opposition led officials to scale it back.
Some tribal leaders said schools that have not shared in the recent gains need more federal support, not more uncertainty. Peter Lengkeek, chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, told AP that the BIE-run high school serving his community has chronic staffing shortages and serious maintenance problems, while graduating fewer than 60% of students on time in recent years.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.