Graduation Rates

School officials are as unhappy with high school graduation rates as anyone else. After several years of dramatic improvement - from 41.6 percent in 2004 to 59.5 percent last year - the 2007 rate for Burke County High School dropped to 52.3 percent.

This range of graduation rates is not unique to Burke County. Even though we are below the state average, counties with our demographics show similar numbers.

We are fortunate that our school system has put several programs in place that should have a positive long-term effect on graduation rates. They include: online classes, tutoring and transportation programs and graduation "coaches" at the high and middle schools.

One of the most drastic steps has been the conversion to composite scheduling, which has taken the place of the traditional six-period day and offers students the opportunity to earn more credits and improve their chances of graduating.

It will be several years before the efforts at the middle and high school level begin to pay dividends. But, nothing will work without the efforts of family members and mentors who work with and encourage children who begin to exhibit leaning problems in the early grades.

Programs like those offered by Communities in Schools work hand in hand with what school officials are doing. A lot of time, work and money are being expended by both private and public agencies to improve the chances of our young people growing into productive citizens. That is as it should be. The cost of failure is just too high.