Ga., Richmond County make strides in graduation rates

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Georgia’s high-school seniors recorded another historic graduation rate in 2023, and Richmond County students did well, too, according to figures released Tuesday.

Georgia’s four-year graduation rate rose to 84.4% – up from 84.1% in 2022, and an all-time high since the state began using the current calculation method that started in 2011.

A total of 107 Georgia school districts recorded graduation rates at or above 90%, and 43 districts recorded rates at or above 95%. Georgia’s statewide graduation rate has increased by 14.7 percentage points since 2012.

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The Richmond County School System’s Class of 2023 graduation rates showed a 6.34% increase to 78% from 71.66% last year.

The new rate is one of the highest for the school district in the past 20 years and the first increase since 2020.

A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School, John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, and Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School continue to maintain a 100% graduation rate. The graduation rate for the Academy of Richmond County was 85.6%, also above the state’s rate of 84.1%.

Glenn Hills Comprehensive High School saw the most significant improvement with a 10.7% increase compared to 2022.

Nearly all Richmond County high schools maintained or saw an increase in their Class of 2023 rate.

“This is excellent news and the result of dedication and commitment from our school-based leaders, our curriculum and instruction staff, parents and students,” Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw said. “Everyone played a vital role in achieving the goal I set for our overall school system graduation rate last year.”

Across the Peach State

Georgia Superintendent Richard Woods hailed the statewide record graduation rate.

“Every data point represents an actual student and new opportunities that have opened up for their future,” he said. “I’m confident we’ll continue to see positive results as we invest in academic recovery and building a student-centered educational system.”

Graduation rates have increased since 2012, when fewer than 70% of Georgia seniors were graduating on time.

The national graduation rate was 87% in 2020, the last year for which it is available.

It’s gotten easier to graduate in Georgia in recent years, with the state in 2020 eliminating four end-of-course exams. The state Board of Education voted in July to let districts count the remaining end-of-course exams in algebra, American literature and composition, biology and U.S. History for as little as 10% of a student’s grade in those courses starting this school year. The threshold previously had been 20%.

State standardized test scores fell in Georgia during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and have not yet fully recovered.

Statewide, 94% of Asian and Pacific Islander students graduated on time, as did 87.1% of white students, 82.5% of multiracial students, 83.7% of Black students and 77.6% of Hispanic students. Georgia historically has had one of the narrowest gaps between Black and white graduation rates.

Among students with disabilities, 73.2% graduated on time, as did 66% of students learning English.

Figures show 39 school systems and five charter schools recorded graduation rates of 95% or above. The Calhoun city school system, the Statesboro STEAM Academy and the Webster County school system graduated 100% of seniors on time.

Six traditional school systems recorded graduation rates of 80% or below, as well as both of the Georgia’s statewide online charter schools and state schools that serve blind and deaf children. The traditional school systems with the lowest graduation rates were Clarke County and Randolph County, at 75.4%

Recording even lower graduation rates were three charter schools aimed at high school dropouts and the school system serving state Department of Juvenile Justice detention facilities.

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