Communities In Schools of Nevada Reports Record Students Served with Graduation Rate of 97% for the 2023-24 School Year

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (Jan. 22, 2025) – Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS), part of the nation’s leading evidence-based stay-in-school nonprofit organization serving schools in Clark, Elko, Humboldt and Washoe County school districts, announces a record-breaking 97 percent graduation rate for its case-managed students in the 2023-2024 school year. Over the past three years, CIS achieved a remarkable 5 percent graduation rate increase.

During the 2023-2024 school year, CIS served 99,999 students statewide, marking the largest year of growth in the organization's 20-year history. During this year, the organization added 16 additional schools and deepened its impact by adding additional support to 9 campuses while case-managing 7,031 students. Core to its mission, CIS also provided over $3 million in essential items to students and families, ensuring that fundamental barriers to success were addressed. These basic needs include clothing, food, hygiene products, school supplies, vision, dental care and more.

“We applaud our Site Coordinators for impacting so many students last school year. The 647 students of our graduating class of 2024 helped us reach a monumental 97% graduation rate, the highest ever for our organization since we began serving Nevada students in 2004,” said Tami Hance-Lehr, CEO and state director, Communities In Schools of Nevada. “While our model of placing professionally trained, trusted full-time Site Coordinators in schools to work closely with students is making a difference, we acknowledge that it is the students, themselves, who work hard to rise above their personal and family circumstances. This year’s outcomes underline how wraparound services inside schools are a powerful resource to ensure every child can reach their potential.”

Statewide, CIS simultaneously met key schoolwide goals during the 2023-2024 school year, including 91 percent progress in attendance. This is a significant increase from 58 percent the previous school year. Chronic Absenteeism, in which students miss 10 percent or more of school, is a focus of CIS’ current national public service announcement campaign, “Being Present Matters,” in which CIS of Nevada is featured.

“The reasons why many students are not in school are complex. Students are challenged in new ways, from transportation issues to helping care for younger siblings or working to help subsidize their family’s income. Thanks to the support of Site Coordinators and more than 120 community partners, we are doing whatever it takes to stand in the gap,” said Hance-Lehr. “If our students are not present, they are not learning. It’s as simple as that. That’s where CIS comes in – to address these challenges and ensure our children can be present. This impact report explains why CIS is the solution for keeping kids in school and helping them achieve in life. Our team is poised to monitor and adjust our progress of our evidence-based model and keep doing whatever it takes for our kids.”

Schoolwide goals met or achieved thanks to the partnership of CIS included improvements in behavior at 94 percent as compared to 65 percent during the previous school year, and 60 percent for coursework as compared to 55 percent the previous school year. All data is authenticated through a rigorous verification process performed by the Communities In Schools National Office.

CIS’ evidence-based model places full-time site coordinators in high-needs schools, supporting and serving students identified as vulnerable to drop-out, doing whatever it takes to keep them in school and on track to graduate. CIS currently serves 118 Title I and high-needs schools where a significant percentage of the student population experiences poverty. CIS serves more than 100,000 students in grades K-12. Through CIS’ network of 120-plus agencies and nonprofit partners statewide, CIS brings “community into the schools” to provide food, housing, medical, dental, and mental health services, tutoring, and other services that help students overcome barriers to learning.

A link to the full report is available here.

About Communities In Schools of Nevada

CIS places full-time and professionally trained site coordinators in 118 Title I and high-needs schools across Nevada to support more than 100,000 students in grades K-12 who face barriers to their success—increasing the likelihood of students staying in school and graduating on time. The organization taps into a statewide network of more than 120 community nonprofits, partners, and agencies, bringing the community into the school to get students whatever they need to overcome the barriers they face that prevent them from achieving academically. From eyeglasses, dental care, health care, and professional counseling to food, school supplies, clothing, and housing, CIS identifies student needs and finds a way to address them, closing the gaps they experience in their everyday lives. CIS's long-term vision is for every child enrolled in a Title I or high-needs school to access a CIS site coordinator and their evidence-based model of integrated student support, otherwise known as wraparound services. The graduation rate for CIS case-managed high school seniors in Nevada for the 2023-2024 school year was 97 percent. For more information, visit http://www.cisnevada.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.