ELLAVILLE — The Georgia Department of Education announced graduation cohort rates for 2018. Cohort rates are the percentages of students who enroll in the ninth grade (in this case, in 2014) and graduate within four years. Schley County High School’s rate for 2018 is 97.3 percent, which represents the highest in the Chattahoochee-Flint RESA area, and the seventh highest in the state of Georgia.
It also represents the highest graduation rate in the school’s history. Schley County’s test scores, graduation, and attendance rates have always been above the state’s average, but this recent rate is well-above the 90.6 percent Schley graduation rate from 2015.
Todd West, principal at Schley County Middle/High School, said that the system achieved this “through the hard work and dedication of our entire staff and the support of the community.” He added that a collective effort by the school and the community to engage all students in a variety of ways kept them coming to school and helped inspire them to graduate. “Providing an opportunity for all students to be successful is a key component to our high graduation rate.
Adam Hathaway, Schley County Schools superintendent, echoed the importance of the entire community in engaging all students. “I am very proud of the Class of 2018 for embracing the challenge of getting involved and leaving a legacy of excellence. Our faculty, staff, and community play an integral role in encouraging excellence from our students, and this success is a direct result of that effort. Finding a place for students to ‘plug in’ and engage in the school experience is crucial to academic success, and the Class of 2018 was very involved in our school’s accomplishments over the last four years.”
In addition to the highest graduation rate, the Class of 2018 was also the largest class to graduate in the school’s history, with 112 members.