The Clarke County School District once again saw increases in its overall and four-year graduation rates last school year, with improvement in most demographic areas at all three of its high schools – including the highest-ever recorded four-year rate at Classic City High. 

According to data released Monday, Sept. 29, by the Georgia Department of Education, CCSD boosted its overall graduation rate 2.5 points to 83% for 2024-25 after improving by 3.5 points in 2023-24. This included a 6-point jump in the five-year rate to 85% and an increase in the four-year rate to 81.9%, 0.8 points higher than a year ago. 

Since recording the lowest four-year graduation rate and the second-lowest five-year graduation rate in the state in 2023, CCSD has made significant strides in implementing a consistent approach in all classrooms across the district to prepare students and empower them to graduate on time. These efforts have led to strong increases in multiple demographic areas, particularly among Black students and students with disabilities. The district’s Black student graduation rate has increased by more than 6 points to 80.6%, and the rate for students with disabilities has jumped 10.6 points to 70.4% since 2023, when both rates were last in Georgia. 

These upward trends were reflected at Clarke Central High School, where the graduation rate among students with disabilities increased by 13.2 points and Black students showed a 5-point increase. The school’s overall graduation rate increased 2.2 points to 85.2% with gains in both the four-year (+1.1 points) and five-year (+4.6) rates. 

Cedar Shoals High School also saw a 2.2-point increase in its overall rate to 81.1% – including a more than 10-point jump in its five-year rate to 84.5%. 

Classic City experienced the most growth in graduation rates. For the first time in three years, the small, nontraditional high school had enough students in both its four- and five-year classes to calculate rates for both. The school's four-year rate of 76.3% was the highest mark in the school’s history and 28 points higher than its 2024 rate. The school increased its overall rate for 2025 by 21 points to 69.3%. 

“Our district is firmly focused on raising the bar for students and staff,” said CCSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott. “The improvements in our graduation rates demonstrate that focus and what is possible when we all work together towards a common goal.”

Each year, Georgia calculates a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate as required by federal law. This rate is the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma, divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. The four-year adjusted cohort includes students who enter ninth grade at the beginning of the school year and adds or subtracts any students who transfer in or out over the next three years.