New York's high school graduation rate edged above 80 percent in 2017, but black and Hispanic students graduated at much lower rates than white students.
State education officials say black, Hispanic and white students all made small gains in the four-year graduation rate, but a 20-point gap exists between white students and their minority peers.
Data released Wednesday shows the overall June graduation rate was 80.2 percent, up from 79.7 percent in 2016.
Students in poorer urban districts also continue to lag behind. While nearly 95 percent of students in more affluent districts graduated in four years, the average graduation rate for Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers combined was 64 percent.
New York City posted a 71 percent graduation rate, up from 70 percent a year earlier.
© 2018 AP
