ATLANTA — Three metro area school districts reported their new graduation rates for the class of 2023.
The state of Georgia’s overall graduation rate is a reported 84.4% for high school seniors, according to new reports published by the Georgia Department of Education.
While the state average graduation rate was 84.4%, Atlanta schools reported their graduation rate was higher than the year before.
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In 2022, the Atlanta Public School system had a graduation rate of 84%. For 2023, the new rate was an all-time high of 86.6%, putting it above the state average for the first time, according to the district.
“I am incredibly proud of the graduating Class of 2023,” said APS Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle. “We are simply elated to celebrate another historic accomplishment! Our students and staff have worked extremely hard to increase our graduation rate and for our results to surpass the state average is truly a testament to the tremendous efforts of everyone in Atlanta Public Schools. We plan to continue building on this momentum by amplifying the work we’re currently doing.”
A similar report by the DeKalb County School District said their own graduation rate was 75.77%, down less than half a percentage from 2022.
“The 2023 student graduation cohort were ninth graders during the start of the pandemic. Despite the chaos of school closures, forced virtual learning, and adjusting to a new school environment, I am encouraged to see only a slight decline in our four-year graduation rate,” Superintendent Dr. Devon Q. Horton said. “I thank our teachers, leaders, and school staff for banding together to support our students and their communities as they navigated several difficult years.”
While the district’s overall rate fell slightly, Horton highlighted repeated increases in the graduation rate for students with disabilities.
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In Floyd County, the school system reported a graduation rate of 95.3%, which “exceeds the state’s rate of 84.4% and last year’s FCS graduation rate by two points,” according to Floyd County Schools.
The district said the high graduation level was proof of the district’s dedication, and the effort of teachers and staff to help students succeed.
“This effort is a system-wide team effort and it begins in Pre-K and travels all the way up until the day of graduation. This not only shows the dedication of our students as they work hard to graduate from high school, but the dedication to all of our teachers, administrators, and stakeholders. Thank you to everyone involved in this team effort and for your continuous efforts in allowing our students to succeed,” Dr. Glenn White, the superintendent, said.
Some of the other districts in the Atlanta metro area had the following graduation rates:
- Forsyth County: 95.8%
- City Schools of Decatur: 94.1%
- Buford City Schools: 93.2%
- Cherokee County: 92.2%
A full list of Georgia’s school high school graduation rates can be found online.
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