Graduation completion rates have declined over the past six years in the Kootenay Lake School district.

Last week the Ministry of Education released completion rates from 2003 to 2017

The rate for all students has fallen almost 10 percent over the past five years from 78 per cent to 69 per cent.

Aboriginal student graduate rates have fallen 20 percent – from 78 percent in 2012 to 58 percent last year.

Superintendent Christine Perkins says the district is working on a plan to increase the numbers.

Perkins says the cause may be the amount of time some take to get their diploma.

Rates for students with special needs also fell with 61 percent completing their graduate diploma in 2012 and 49 percent in 2017.

A total of 315 students got their graduate diploma in 2017.