Gov. Perdue celebrates grad rates at North Hall

GAINESVILLE - Governor Sonny Perdue showed up with a plaque, a check for $3,000 and T-shirts for the North Hall High School graduating class Tuesday morning at a student assembly that filled the Trojan gym.

The governor and top state education officials came to celebrate North Hall's 95 percent graduation rate, and to challenge the school to do as well or better this year. The Governor said his goal was 80 percent statewide by the time he left office, and the North Hall Trojans did not stop at eighty percent.

"They had a 95 percent graduation rate for their seniors," the governor said. "That's 95 out of 100 students who have that first key to success in their lives of a high school diploma who can go on to their futures and have access to jobs that those who drop out will not."

The state of Georgia's graduation rate rose to an all-time high of 80.8 percent in 2010, an increase of two percentage points over last year, and more than 17 percentage points since 2003, when the graduation rate was 63.3 percent.

Perdue and State School Superintendent Brad Bryant announced the results while recognizing three schools throughout the state, including North Hall, that saw their own graduation rates increase dramatically in recent years.

In 2003, 65,213 students received a high school diploma in Georgia. Last school year, 91,561 students graduated with a high school diploma, meaning 26,348 more students graduated with a full diploma this year than in 2003.

Perdue and Bryant presented the three schools with $3,000 grants towards graduation improvement programs, a plaque and t-shirts for the seniors and faculty members, all made possible by AT&T.

The three schools were selected for their improved graduation rates and academics, including progress on End of Course Tests and postsecondary enrollment.

The progress in graduation rates at each high school visited is below:
- North Hall High School - 74 percent in 2003 to over 94 percent this year.
- Eagle's Landing High School - 74 percent in 2003 to over 90 percent this year
- Glynn Academy - 56 percent in 2004 to over 80 percent this year

All groups of students saw significant increases in their graduation rate in 2010. Georgia's African-American students had a graduation rate of 75.8 percent, up more than 23 percentage points from 2003. The state's Hispanic students had a graduation rate of 77.6 percent, up more than 29 percentage points from 2003. And Georgia's economically-disadvantaged students raised their graduation rate to a 76 percentage in 2010, up more than 24 percentage points from 2003.

"The improvement in our graduation rate is happening across the board for all students in every subgroup," Bryant added. "We are making steady progress and giving more students than ever the tools they need to be successful after high school."

North Hall Principal Joe Gheesling credited his school's graduation rate to hard work and a very good graduation coach.

"It did not come easy; like the Governor said, it set the standard and that's what we're building from now," Gheesling said.