HCS 4 - Year Graduation Rate Continues to Outpace the Overall State Average and for Students with Disabilities
Submission Date: October 7, 2022
Release Date: For Immediate Release
Contact: Dr. Duke Bradley, Chief of Staff, 770-957-6601 ext. 01158, duke.bradley@henry.k12.ga.us
(Release # 0031-10-2022)
HCS 4-Year Graduation Rate Continues to Outpace the Overall State Average and for Students with Disabilities
Several schools continue to graduate students at a higher rate than the state
HENRY COUNTY, GA – Graduation rates for the Class of 2022 were released by the Georgia Department of Education on Thursday, October 6, and Henry County students posted an impressive 4 - year rate of 86.8%. Although a slight decline from the historic 87.6% rate set by the class of 2021, Henry County Schools remain above the state’s average.
Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis commented, “this year’s graduation rate tells a story about the resilience of our community and the hard work of so many people having come together to ensure the success of our students.” “The professionals in this district – ranging from teachers, to counselors, are other support personnel are to be credited most for these impressive outcomes.”
Resulting from post pandemic recovery efforts, the district saw 8 of our 10 high schools show gains in either 4 - year and 5 -year cohort graduation rates. Eagle’s Landing High School saw the highest increase in 4 - year graduation rate, moving from 85% in 2021 to 88.3% in 2022 . This gain represents a 3.3 percentage point increase. For last year’s graduation class, there were 3 high schools in the district with graduation rates surpassing the 90 percent mark for 4 - year graduation rates: Dutchtown HS (91.0 percent), Ola HS (92.2 percent), and Union Grove HS (92.8 percent).
The Georgia Department of Education also places noted attention on students who graduate within 5 years. The 2022 5 - year graduation rate reflects the perseverance of our students and the commitment of Henry County Schools to ensure that students are prepared for college, career, and life. Hampton High School had the largest increase in 5 - year graduation rate, improving from 89% in 2021 to 94.3% in 2022. This is a cause for celebration, especially as we continue to recover from the COVID - 19 pandemic.
Over the past four years, Henry County Schools has also consistently outperformed the state with 4 - year graduation rates among students with disabilities. The class of 2022 earned a graduation rate of 77% - a total that is 4 percentage points higher than the state average and 6 percentage points higher than the 2019 pre - pandemic rate.
"There is so much to be proud of with these graduation rates, but the hard work of our teachers, students, and the support of our parents helped to make this possible”, said Board Vice Chair, Annette Edwards."
Also worth mentioning, Henry County Schools also produced the 6th highest number of graduates in the state. In 2022, 3250 students met graduate requirements within 4 years; an increase from 2021 (3224 students).
Reflecting on the district’s performance, Board of Education Chair Holly Cobb says, “graduation rates are only one measure of school performance, but we are pleased with our continued progress coming out of the pandemic and look forward to continued success in the future.”
The following chart shows 4-year and 5-year graduation rates in the district: