James_Nov-Dec_2025_web - Flipbook - Page 75
E D U CAT I O N
STATE CHARTER SCHOOLS
Praiseworthy Graduation Rates
BY C I N DY M O R L E Y
hile Georgia
public high
school officials
are boasting of
a historically
high graduation rate, officials with
the state’s far-flung public charter
schools are touting their role in
boosting their new graduation rate.
According to information released by the Georgia Department
of Education (GaDOE), the state’s
four-year graduation rate rose to
87.2 percent— up from 85.4 percent
in 2024, and an all-time high since
the state began using the adjusted
cohort calculation first required
in 2011 by federal law. But charter school officials point to new
data from the GaDOE shows that
students attending a charter high
school “are more likely to graduate.”
Consider, according to recent
data, that last year Georgia’s public
charter high schools posted a 90.3
percent graduation rate— outperforming the statewide rate. Notably, 68 percent of charter high
schools graduated 95 percent or
more of their students in four years
(compared with 27 percent of
non-charter schools), and 27 percent
achieved a perfect 100 percent graduation rate (compared with just 4
percent of non-charter schools).
A total of 134 Georgia public
school districts recorded graduation
rates at or above 90 percent, and 60
districts recorded rates at or above
95 percent.
“The exceptional graduation
rates at Georgia’s charter schools
show what’s possible when students receive the support and
personalized attention they need to
thrive,” said Bonnie Holliday, President and CEO of the Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA).
“These results underscore the need
to expand high-quality charter options across the state, giving more
students the opportunity to graduate prepared for college, careers and
future success.”
The non-partisan GCSA, by
the way, plays an important role
as an advocate, partner and service provider for Georgia’s public
charter schools. First and foremost,
its work increases the number of
good public school options for all
students. The GCSA also trains
charter school governing boards
throughout the state; works to develop high-quality startup charter
schools and replicates successful
ones; and advocates for charter
schools to members of the General Assembly, local school boards,
state authorizers and the state
Board of Education.
It is also significant that, in
addition to outperforming the state
graduation average, the majority of
charter high schools also exceeded
graduation rates in their local districts or attendance zones, according
to the information released. (Georgia
calculates graduation rates using a
federally required four-year adjusted
cohort method.)
Public charter high schools
with top 2025 graduation rates
include:
Academy for Classical Education: 100%
Lake Oconee Academy: 100%
Savannah Classical Academy: 100%
Statesboro STEAM Academy: 100%
Tapestry Public Charter School: 100%
Utopian Academy for the Arts
high school: 100%
Charles R. Drew Charter School
senior academy: 98.2%
Baconton Community Charter School: 98.2%
Walton High School: 97.9%
Hapeville Charter Career Academy: 97.5%
Atlanta Classical Academy: 97.2%
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate: 96.7%
Georgia School for Innovation
and the Classics: 95.7%
Berrien Academy Performance
Learning Center: 96.2%
Pataula Charter Academy: 95%
Cindy Morley is a staff writer for James
and James Magazine Online.
S E PT E M B E R /O C TO BER 2025
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