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After the downpour of bad news coming out of the district here’s a ray of sunshine: Graduation rates for all race and ethnic groups in LA Unified were up by double-digit margins last year.

Across the board graduation rates for the class of 2013-14 rose by 12 percent over the previous year, the highest increase in a single year on record for the district. But when broken down by race, the numbers are even more impressive: Black students increased 17 percentage points to 71 percent. The remaining groups made gains of 12 percent, boosting Latinos to 76 percent; Asians to 87 percent; and white students to 84 percent.

“I am very proud of our LAUSD team, who helped us get closer to our 100 percent graduation rate goal,” board President Richard Vladovic said in a statement. “The gains were made as a result of a lot of hard work from our staff and students,” he added.

Newly appointed superintendent, Ramon Cortines, also gushed about the numbers.

“We’re proud of our students, proud of our schools and proud of the rising graduation rates,” he said. “Even as we celebrate this achievement, students deserve our best effort. Combined with their endless potential, we will work with them to achieve even more.”

Other groups of students also made significant gains. Reclassified English Learners increased by 6 percentage points to 85 percent; economically disadvantaged students expanded by 11 percentage points to 78 percent; and students with disabilities grew 16 percentage points to 57 percent. The only students to experience a decline were English Learners, down two percent to 27.