The Clarke County School District achieved a 4.5-point increase in its four-year high school graduation rate in 2026, climbing to 86.35%, according to data released today by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE). 

The increase included gains across all student groups at both of the district’s traditional comprehensive high schools, and CCSD’s graduation rate now stands at its highest point since prior to 2011.

“Raising our graduation rate shows what is possible when we stay focused on strong instruction, building relationships, and removing barriers to student success,” said Dr. Jennifer Scott, Superintendent. “I am so proud of Clarke Central, Cedar Shoals, and Classic City for the gains they’ve made. We will continue this work going forward to ensure every student in Clarke County graduates prepared for life beyond high school.” 

Each year, GaDOE 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.

The federally mandated cohort rate calculation method took effect in 2011, replacing looser rules that inflated data, meaning pre-2011 graduation rates cannot be directly compared to previous years. 

Under the current formula, CCSD’s four-year graduation rate stood at 66.05% in 2011. 

That rate reached 80% by 2015 and has remained near that level over the last decade before increasing to 81.9% in 2025.

This year’s increase above 86.3% was fueled by substantial gains across all major student groups at Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals high schools, which have now seen their four-year rates grow over the last two years to 87.34% (+4.27 from 2024) and 86.51% (+5.17), respectively. 

At Cedar Shoals, the four-year graduation rate among Black students has increased 8.38 points since 2024 to 89.51% (Clarke Central’s rose 4.45 points to 82.29%), and its multi-racial graduation rate has increased by 10.13 points to 82.35% (Clarke Central’s grew 7.61 points to 82.61%). 

At Clarke Central, the graduation rate among Hispanic students has increased 7.44 points since 2024 to 88.57% (Cedar Shoals’ rate increased 2.26 points to 81.86%), and both schools have seen major gains among English Learners (18.52-point increase for Clarke Central and 13.24-point increase for Cedar Shoals) and students with disabilities (+18.22 for Clarke Central and +9.19 for Cedar Shoals).

Classic City High School, the district’s third, nontraditional high school, saw a slight decrease in its rate to 73.08% but remains stable after its 2024 rate stood at only 48%.

Note: For Classic City High School, Black students were the only measurable subgroup for this two-year period. Classic City’s four-year graduation rate among Black students (76.19%) is more than 30 points higher than 2024 (45.83%).