Neither of Lawrence’s two public high schools is considered a “dropout factory” by a national advocacy group — and district administrators want to keep it that way.

The combined dropout rate for Free State and Lawrence high schools is less than 14 percent, well below the 40 percent threshold for troubled high schools noted in a report released today by America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University.

In fact, only 10 high schools statewide qualify as such “dropout factories,” where fewer than six out of 10 students make it through to graduation, according to the report. That’s the total that was posted in 2008, up from nine in 2002.

The report didn’t identify the schools or their locations, although the study’s authors plan to compile a more detailed document next year that addresses individual schools and the problems they face.

Overall, the number of “dropout factories” nationwide dropped by 13 percent, the report said. Texas, for example, had 163 in 2008, down from 240 in 2002.

“Kansas is not as densely populated as, say, an Illinois,” said Shalaya Henson, a spokeswoman for the effort, entitled “Building a Grad Nation.” “But it’s something to watch out for. If (adding) one (to the list) turns to two, and two turns to three, then it becomes a problem.”

Statewide, Kansas’ graduation rate reached 79.1 percent in 2008, up 2 percent from 2002. That ranked the state No. 28 on the list of states with the largest improvement.

The Lawrence school district is working to improve its graduation rate, particularly through several concerted efforts:

• Reconfiguring schools so that freshmen actually go to school at a four-year high school.

• Continuing efforts known as “Courageous Conversations” to help address differences in the district’s racial achievement gap.

• Examining programs for online offerings and other ways to keep students on track toward graduation.

Superintendent Rick Doll emphasizes that any dropout rate — including the district’s 13.7 percent recorded in 2009 — is too high.

“You can’t defend a dropout rate,” Doll said. “That’s basic education: Kids should graduate from high school.”