BIE Graduation Rates Climbed From 50% to 79% Over a Decade
Graduation rates at Bureau of Indian Education schools reached a record high of 79% in 2025, up from just over 50% in 2015. The BIE oversees 183 primary and secondary schools serving more than 40,000 Native American students across the country.
Educators and agency officials point to two main drivers. Local schools like Chief Leschi Schools in Washington state expanded career and technical training programs, which researchers and practitioners say improved student engagement and on-time graduation. The BIE also corrected flawed data collection methods that had previously depressed reported graduation figures, meaning some of the headline gain reflects more accurate counting rather than a sudden jump in outcomes.
“It motivates me. I like making connections with the kids, I like helping them.”
Gerald Dillon, BIE student, Chief Leschi Schools, June 2026
Dillon’s story illustrates what career training can do. He enrolled in career courses his junior year, saw his grades improve, and graduated in June 2026. He is now considering a college degree in education.
Federal Budget Cuts Jeopardize a Decade of Progress
The gains are now at risk. The Trump administration has moved to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, which provides oversight, data infrastructure, and support functions that BIE schools rely on. DOGE, which was disbanded in November 2025, had already cut staff and programs across federal agencies before it was shut down, and BIE schools absorbed some of that fallout.
BIE schools already operate in some of the most under-resourced communities in the country. Losing federal coordination capacity makes it harder for struggling schools to replicate what is working at higher-performing campuses. Data systems that support accurate graduation tracking, teacher training pipelines, and technical assistance programs all depend on stable federal funding.
The planned restructuring of the Department of Education does not eliminate BIE’s legal mandate, but it strips away the institutional support that made the last decade’s improvements possible.
What you can do now
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Call your senators at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to oppose any budget reconciliation or appropriations provision that cuts BIE funding or eliminates the Department of Education’s tribal education functions. Appropriations votes are expected in fall 2026.
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Contact the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs at (202) 224-2251. The committee has jurisdiction over BIE policy. Ask members to hold hearings on how Education Department restructuring will affect BIE school data systems and teacher training programs before any reorganization takes effect.
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Contact your House representative through house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative and ask them to oppose any reconciliation language that reduces BIE operating budgets or eliminates tribal-specific education support offices.
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Find your tribal nation’s education department through the National Congress of American Indians at ncai.org and ask how you can support local advocacy for BIE school funding in your region.
Sources
PBS NewsHour: Innovation and Data Fixes Fuel Native American Graduation Gains at BIE Schools Bureau of Indian Education: BIE School Directory and Enrollment Data National Congress of American Indians: Federal Education Policy and Tribal Nations ProPublica: DOGE Cuts Hit Federal Agencies Before November 2025 Disbandment NPR: Trump Administration Plans to Dismantle the Department of Education