While Georgia’s high school graduation rate has fallen from 80 percent in 2011 to 67 percent this year under a new federal calculation method called “cohort,” Madison County’s graduation rate dropped one percentage point — from 78.8 to 77.81 percent.
That means that Madison County schools have a 10 percent lead over the state’s graduation rate.
“That means we’re making a difference to our students,” Superintendent Dr. Allen McCannon said. “I’m proud of that.”
Federal school officials say the new formula is more accurate and gives a better account of dropouts by dividing the number of graduates in a given year by the number of cohorts (students who enrolled with them four years earlier).
Assistant superintendent Dr. Sherrie Gibney-Sherman said the results reflect well on Madison County and that the county ranks seventh among 19 high schools in the Northeast Georgia RESA district.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, McCannon reported that revenues from the 2008 SPLOST have increased over the last three months, with larger funds coming in than during the same time last year.
Comer Elementary’s renovations and additions continue on schedule, according to a report by assistant superintendent Bonnie Knight, with brickwork currently being done on the addition. McCannon said the brick was chosen to match some of the brickwork in downtown Comer. The school has also received $51,000 in additional funding from the Gholston Fund for an outdoor learning center, which will be created behind the building. They are also using other Gholston funds to do some other renovations to the building while Charles Black Construction is on site, which includes moving some walls and rearranging their computer lab area and creating a clinic area with a restroom in the current media center office area.
Work on a decal lane at Comer is expected begin in late May as soon as school lets out for the summer. McCannon said he is happy with how the Department of Transportation, the board of commissioners and the school board have all worked to improve safety during arrivals and departures at the school.
Bids for the high school construction and renovation will be issued in late May, with construction planned to begin in late July or early August. McCannon warned that the construction work will make things around the high school somewhat “chaotic.”
The school nutrition program is looking into providing summer lunches again this year. McCannon said the project did lose money last year, though school officials said they believed the project was beneficial to many students.
The board approved 2012-12 contracts for certified employees at all county schools.
Gibney-Sherman said a video tape done on Ag Day about the school system’s charter school plan has been sent to the state. She said the system is expected to be approved as a charter system by the state in May. The system will begin operating as a charter system July 1. Some plans include obtaining funds to establish a career academy at the high school with a focus on agriculture.
The board approved a new time frame for FFA students to attend a summer leadership camp. The students typically go in June, but those weeks are full, so officials requested students attend camp May 21 – 25, which is during post-planning. McCannon said teachers have said they will travel back and forth to attend meetings when necessary. The board also approved a request by high school English department chair Susanna Arnold to plan a trip to England for AP English students during spring break next year. The trip is expected to cost approximately $2,500 per student, with those expenses covered by the students and by any fundraisers they may conduct. The trip will include a visit to London, Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge, Windsor Palace and other places of interest.
The BOE also approved a new weight to rank GPA beginning with the class of 2013, which gives more points (12) for AP/dual enrollment courses. Honors courses will receive 10 points.
The board approved the closing of a number of classes at the elementary schools to transfers to keep student enrollments balanced. Kindergarten transfer requests from registration will be allowed before those classes are closed, McCannon said.
