Pandemic Has Not Slowed Hamilton County Schools Rise In Graduation Rate

The Tennessee Department of Education released district and school graduation rates for 2018-2019 yesterday showing that Hamilton County Schools are still advancing toward the district graduation goal set forth in the Future Ready 2023 action plan.

The district graduation rate for 2018-2019 was 86.9 percent, which was up from 86.6 percent last year.

In the Future Ready 2023 action plan, the target is a 90 percent graduation rate by 2023.

Three high schools in Hamilton County reported a graduation rate of 100 percent for 2018-2019.

These schools included the Lookout Valley Middle/High School, the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences -Upper and the Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts.

Twelve schools have surpassed the district target for 2023 with a graduation rate higher than 90 percent.

These schools include:

1) Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts at 100%
2) Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences – Upper at 100%
3) Lookout Valley Middle/High School at 100%
4) Chattanooga State Collegiate High at 98.2%
5) STEM School Chattanooga at 96.7%
6) Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy at 96.4%
7) Signal Mountain Middle-High School at 95.9%
8) East Hamilton Middle High School at 94.1%
9) Sale Creek Middle/High School at 93.2%
10) Ivy Academy Chattanooga at 91.3%
11) Soddy Daisy High School at 91.1%
12) Sequoyah High School at 90.5%

Hamilton County School district was the only large district in the state to show an increase in graduation rate for the 2018-2019 school year.

On the average, the graduation rate for Tennessee held steady in the last school year. The state average, though, has risen from 89.1% in 2017-2018 to 89.7% for 2018-2019, according to Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.