Georgia Graduation Rate Climbs to Historic High: Georgia Department of Education Report

Georgia’s high school graduation rate for 2025 landed at an all time high:  87.2%.

This notable year-over-year improvement – up from 85.4% and the highest number on record since the state started using the federal rate in 2011 – included the State specifically highlighting Second Mile’s Skvyew High School in Fulton County.  From the report:

Fulton County’s Skyview High School – which works to help at-risk youth earn a traditional high-school diploma and prepare them for postsecondary success – saw an 8.4-point increase in its graduation rate. At Skyview, a locally approved charter school, every student has an individual success plan and is paired with a teacher who works with them one-on-one to set weekly goals and monitor their progress.

Students have access to a rich suite of wraparound services to ensure they don’t just graduate, but are successful after high school – from FAFSA workshops to resume-writing help and job interview prep. Ultimately, it’s the individual relationships that make the difference for students, Principal Shelley Leger said.

“I have this rule,” Leger said. “As long as they connect with one individual in our building, we’re able to get through to that child. We’re often giving them that sense of hope that they may have lost.”

Namon Robinson, who graduated from Skyview in 2024 at 21 years old, is now enrolled in college and serves as a mentor to current students at the school. He describes Skyview as “the only place or thing in my life that was consistent. They never closed the door, they never said no, they never said goodbye.”

Once describing himself as someone who didn’t take education seriously, Robinson – who faced significant barriers, including his mother’s severe illness – ultimately served as the class speaker at his 2024 graduation.

“Never say you can’t do something,” he told his classmates. “Despite all the roadblocks and challenges and dead ends…never let people’s negative expectations affect your progress. This isn’t the end for us – we are just getting started.”

 

Read the full story here:  https://gadoe.org/press-releases/georgia-graduation-rate-climbs-to-87-2-another-historic-high/