Despite a low grade on the Fraser Institute’s school report card released earlier this month, the news out of Merritt Secondary School is good.

High graduation rates and fewer failed mandatory exams are among the statistics revealed by the Fraser Institute’s rankings, which use baseline data from provincial exams administered by the Ministry of Education.

Despite appearing at number 282 out of 293 schools, MSS saw 93.2 per cent of Grade 12 students cross the stage in 2013.

That number was down slightly from 2012, when the graduation rate was 97.3 per cent. The rate at MSS had climbed steadily from 86 per cent in 2008 until this small dip in 2013.

The provincial average for eligible Grade 12 graduation was about 95 per cent.

MSS principal Bill Lawrence said the school’s dip just below the provincial average isn’t a concern.

“I would then look at the next year’s six-year rate to say, ‘How are we doing? Did we hang on to those kids, were they able to finish? What percentage of them finished in the next year?’ I know we’re going to have a number of grads this year who are crossing the stage who took an extra year to graduate, and that’s fine with me,” Lawrence said.

The province’s six-year completion rate for 2012-2013 was 83.6 per cent.

MSS had a delayed advancement rate of 31.8 per cent for 2013. This statistic estimates the percentage of Grade 10 students who will not complete Grade 12 within three years.

That percentage has risen the past three years from 18.5 per cent in 2011 and 27.5 in 2012.

When it comes to the delayed advancement statistic, Lawrence said what’s important is that the students eventually graduate.

“The joy of our school – and should be applauded – is that we are hanging on to kids even though they do take a little bit of extra time to grad,” Lawrence said.

The percentage of failed mandatory provincial exams for MSS dropped nearly 10 per cent between 2012 and 2013 from 26.9 to 18.2 per cent.

Lawrence said students write three provincial exams in Grade 10, one in Grade 11 and one in Grade 12.

The school’s ranking out of 10 is calculated based on its average exam mark, percentage of exams failed, school versus exam mark difference, gender gaps, graduation rate and delayed advancement rate.

Overall, MSS’s mark was down slightly from a 3.4 in 2011-2012, which placed it at 271 out of 284 schools, to an even three. In 2010-2011, it was a five.

The Fraser Institute states on its website that the ranking out of 10 is relative, and in order for a school to show improvement, it must improve faster than the average. If a school improves at a rate less than average, it will have a decline in its rating.

Only 30 of the 293 schools profiled showed improvement over the past five years.

The Fraser Institute is a Canadian public policy research and education organization.