Data released on Sept. 18 by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) show the Bibb County School District’s high school graduation rate increased from 78.5 percent in 2018 to 79.4 percent in 2019. This marks the sixth consecutive increase in the District’s graduation rate since 2013 when the graduation rate was 58.9 percent. Six of the seven high schools in the District in spring 2019 earned a graduation rate of 80 percent or higher. This includes a 100 percent graduation rate for the first graduating class for the Academy for Classical Education (ACE), which became a state charter school in summer 2019.
|
School
|
2019 Grad Rate
|
2018 Grad Rate
|
2017 Grad Rate
|
|
ACE
|
100%
|
|
|
|
Central
|
80.5%
|
83.6
|
79.9
|
|
Howard
|
82%
|
79.7
|
83.1
|
|
Northeast
|
80.8%
|
81.6
|
80.3
|
|
Rutland
|
82%
|
80.6
|
74.8
|
|
Southwest
|
80.9%
|
77.3
|
75.97
|
|
Westside
|
70%
|
71.7
|
74.8
|
|
District
|
79.4%
|
78.5
|
77.1
|
|
State
|
82.0%
|
81.6
|
80.6
|
“The latest numbers released today by the Georgia Department of Education show the District is continuing to close the gap with the state. Five out of six of our high schools now have a graduation rate of 80 percent or higher. This success is not just because of what high schools are doing; it is because everyone in our schools and throughout our community is coming together in a concentrated effort to make sure students graduate. We have to celebrate this victory,” Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones said.
Upon joining the District in 2015, Dr. Jones set a goal for the District to achieve a 90 percent graduation rate by the year 2025. The District also has a goal of reaching an 80 percent graduation rate by 2020.
At Rutland High School, the graduation rate was among the highest in the District at 82 percent for 2019. Principal Dr. Wendy Pooler says the school’s success is a testament to the work the students, staff and community have been engaged in over the past few years.
“Our teachers have worked extremely hard to tailor learning to each individual student’s need. We tapped into the ‘tech savvy’ student and made learning accessible and relevant. More importantly we made a concerted effort to increase parental involvement and community engagement to create a complete support network for our students,” Dr. Pooler said.