News
CNHS grad rate jumps 13%
1/20/2010
Author: Bob Braley
Published by: News Sun
Central Noble High School had one of the highest increases in graduation rates in the state in figures released recently, the CN Community School Corp. board learned Tuesday.
"We have increased," said interim superintendent Dr. Paul Thomas. The school's 2006 graduation rate was about 73 percent, and was 71.3 percent in 2007. "For 2008, it was 84.4 percent," he said.
Thomas said the 13.1 percent increase is one of the highest in the state and gave CNHS a graduation rate well above state average.
"I don't know if there's any one thing you can credit it to," said CNHS principal Geoff Brose. Each year's class is different.
A Freshman Academy held the year the 2008 class started high school may have helped, Brose said. The importance of the Quality Schools Initiative also can't be overlooked.
Thomas said the Four County Area Vocational Cooperative's importance to graduation rates also can't be overlooked. Those students are motivated to complete the program and get certified for their work.
Brose agreed. The school went from 18 students in that program six or seven years ago to 71 in it now, he said.
CNHS's 2009 graduation rate is over 80 percent of students and still above state average, Brose said.
Also Tuesday, corporation business manager Stan Jacob clarified the corporation's 2010 budget situation in the wake of state-mandated budget cuts of 4.5 percent.
While it is true that the board has had to cut about $110,000 from what the 2009 budget had been, the minus adjustment to the 2010 budget itself is actually $390,455, Jacob said.
The 2009 budget was $8,399,280, Jacob said. The 2010 projected budget had been $8.7 million, but the actual budget as set now will be about $8,294,000 instead.
Most schools who have been talking to media have only been quoting their 2010 figures, which has led to some confusion as to what is actually being cut at Central Noble since Jacob emphasized the difference between the 2009 and actual 2010 budgets.
The real drop is $110,000, but the drop as others are quoting it is $390,455, he said.
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