Indiana Department of Education released high school graduation rates for the 2008-09 school year.
Of the six area schools, Warsaw Community High School has the lowest graduation rate, according to the state. Warsaw also is the only area high school with a graduation rate that did not increase over the previous year.For the 2008-09 school year, Warsaw had a graduation rate of 74.9 percent. That's down from 80.6 percent in 2007-08.
Warsaw Community Schools Director of Secondary Curriculum and Chief Accountability Officer Tom Kline said Warsaw Schools has started some programs to address the graduation rate, but those won't take an impact for two to three more years. Those programs include a new credit recovery program, expanded programs at the Alternative Learning Center and expanded summer school programs.
It is hoped those programs will help the graduation rate, Kline said, but they are disappointed the graduation rate has decreased.
Kline said the graduation rate is a percent of the students who graduate in four years. If a student graduates in five years, or three years, they don't count toward the WCHS graduation rate. Students who earn their GED or special needs students who don't receive a diploma also don't count toward the graduation rate. Expelled or students who drop out don't count.
For the 2008-09 school year, Kline said 131 students did not graduate with their classmates. WCHS needed 79 of those students to graduate to reach the 90 percent graduation rate the state wants WCHS to reach.
Kline reiterated that Warsaw is doing research to try and find out why the graduation rate decreased.
At Wawasee High School, the graduation rate was 83.4 percent for 2008-09. For the 2007-08 school year, Wawasee had a rate of 79.8 percent.
Tippecanoe Valley High School's graduation rate also increased from last year. In 2007-08, Valley's rate was 71.9 percent. In 2008-09, 75.4 percent graduated.
Valley Superintendent Brett Boggs said he had not taken a lot of time yet today to look at the state report, but he was not surprised Valley's graduation rate had increased.
Boggs said all the credit must be given to everyone at the high school, and others in the district who have helped students along the way.
Tippecanoe Valley High School really is working hard to make changes to increase its graduation rate, Boggs said. The Burket Alternative Education Center also has made a difference in the Valley graduation rate, he said. On average, 15 students a year graduate from the Burket school who otherwise might not have.
However, Boggs said it's not been one thing that has helped Valley increase its graduation rate. It's a combination of things Valley has done.
Whitko's graduation rate increased from 80.1 percent in 2007-08 to 84.9 percent in 2008-09.
Manchester High School had a graduation rate of 89.1 percent for 2008-09. That's up from 87.9 percent in 2007-08.
Triton Junior-Senior High School had a graduation rate of 84.4 percent in 2007-08. For 2008-09, Triton's rate increased to 86.5 percent.
