Gwinnett County Public Schools' 2018 graduation rate is nearly identical to the state of Georgia's recent high of 81.6 percent, new state data show.
Gwinnett County’s graduation rate was 81.7 percent in 2018, up from 78.1 percent in 2016. Buford High School, the only high school in Buford City Schools, had a graduation rate of 93.2 percent, up from 91.3 percent in 2016. Graduation rates are determined by the percentage of students in a school or district who complete their high school education in four years.
READ | Georgia's high school graduation rate climbs to 81.6 percent
MORE | Here are Gwinnett County's largest high schools
Gwinnett County Public Schools is the largest district in Georgia, and has been for as long as the 2018 graduates were in school.
White, multi-racial, Asian and Pacific Islander students all exceeded the district’s overall graduation rate. White students graduated at a rate of 89.4 percent, Asian and Pacific Islander students at a rate of 89.2 percent and multi-racial students at a rate of 84.9 percent. Black students almost mirrored the district average, graduating at a rate of 81.5 percent.
Students of Hispanic, American Indian and Alaskan descent graduated at rates below the district average. American Indian and Alaskan students had a graduation rate of 76.9 percent and Hispanic students had a graduation rates of 70.2 percent.
“Economically disadvantaged” students graduated at a rate of 75.2 percent, according to the state. That designation is based on students’ eligibility for free and reduced-price lunch. Students with a disability graduated at a rate of 52.8 percent. Students whose first language is not English graduated at a rate of 48.2 percent, the lowest rate of any demographic group in the state data.
The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology had the district’s highest graduation rate, with 98.3 percent of the 2018 class graduating; only three members of that class did not graduate, according to state data. GSMST is designated as a “special school” and selects students through a lottery. To be eligible for the lottery, students must have taken accelerated algebra I or enrolled in the class by eighth grade.
The high school without admission requirements with the highest graduation rate is North Gwinnett High School, which graduated 96 percent of its 2018 group. Of the 706 students, 28 did not earn a diploma in four years. The high school with the lowest graduation rate, excluding online and alternative programs, was Berkmar High School, with 70.6 percent graduating. State data show that 214 students of 728 did not earn a diploma within four years.
Both Gwinnett InterVention Education Center campuses had no students grduate. These are alternative schools primarily for students with disciplinary problems. Phoenix High School, an “open campus school” that has options including in-school child care and technical education, had a graduation rate of 13.6 percent. Gwinnett Online Campus, the district’s online education program, had a graduation rate of 38.9 percent.
The full list of high schools by graduation rate is below:
• Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology: 98.3 percent
• North Gwinnett High School: 96 percent
• Mill Creek High School: 93.8 percent
• Grayson High School: 93.1 percent
• Brookwood High School: 92.4 percent
• Parkview High School: 92.1 percent
• Peachtree Ridge High School: 91 percent
• Archer High School: 90.7 percent
• Lanier High School: 90.5 percent
• Mountain View High School: 87.9 percent
• Dacula High School: 83.5 percent
• Collins Hill High School: 83.2 percent
• Shiloh High School: 82.5 percent
• Duluth High School: 81.4 percent
• Discovery High School: 78.9 percent
• South Gwinnett High School: 78.8 percent
• Central Gwinnett High School: 78.7 percent
• Meadowcreek High School: 76.9 percent
• Norcross High School: 74.5 percent
• Berkmar High School: 70.6 percent
• Gwinnett Online Campus: 38.9 percent
• Phoenix High School: 13.6 percent
• Gwinnett InterVention Education Center East: 0 percent
• Gwinnett InterVention Education Center West: 0 percent
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