More students are completing their high school education in Dalton and around the state according to the release of the 4-year cohort graduation rate today by the Georgia Department of Education.
The district graduation rate for Dalton Public Schools was 80.7 percent, up from 70.2 percent in 2014. The 2015 high school graduation rate for Georgia was 78.8 percent, up from 72.5 percent in 2014.
“Successful completion of high school is the foundation for future success regardless of a students’ future plans,” said Dr. Jim Hawkins, superintendent of Dalton Public Schools. “As a district, we start talking about setting the goal of high school graduation at kindergarten. We are pleased to see our graduation rate rise as well as the total number of students who are earning a diploma increase as well.”
The total number of graduates from the Class of 2015 in the district was 367, up from 340 in 2014.Dalton High School’s graduation rate was 90.6 percent, up from 88.4 percent in 2014. Morris Innovative High School’s graduation rate was 52.2 percent, up from 29.3 percent in 2014.
“The increase in our rates at both high schools also validates the work we are doing to ensure at-risk students have opportunities to stay on track for graduation,” adds Dr. Hawkins. “We won’t be satisfied until we have 100 percent of our students graduate, but we are pleased that more students are leaving our schools with a diploma. A high school graduate has significantly more opportunities for future success whether they choose to pursue post-secondary education, work or the military.”