VALDOSTA – The Georgia State Department of Education released graduation rates for the Class of 2023 Tuesday morning.

“The four-year graduation rate rose to 84.4% — up from 84.1% in 2022, and an all-time high since the state began using the adjusted cohort calculation first required to be calculated in 2011 by federal law,” according to a press release.

“I’m incredibly proud of Georgia’s high-school seniors – and the teachers, leaders, and families who have supported them to produce these results,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said in the release. “It’s important to remember that the positive news we’ve received lately – from this historic-high graduation rate to Georgia students beating the national average on the SAT – is more than just numbers. Every data point represents an actual student and new opportunities that have opened up for their future. I’m confident we’ll continue to see positive results as we invest in academic recovery and building a student-centered educational system.”

Lowndes High School and Valdosta High Schools were two out of 107 Georgia school districts that recorded rates above 90%. Only 43 school districts recorded rates at or above 95%.

Both schools experienced a small decrease in their graduation rate. The decrease could result from the method the state calculates its scores.

The press release explained that the state calculates a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate using the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma, divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. The state defined an adjusted cohort rate as, “From the beginning of ninth grade, students who are entering that grade form a cohort that is subsequently adjusted by adding any students who transfer into the cohort during the next three years and subtracting any students who transfer out.”

In 2023, Lowndes High School had a total of 640 students graduate out of a 702-person cohort resulting in a graduation rate of 91.2%. The 2023 LHS graduation rate is 4.2 points less than the 2022 rate of 95.4%

“We are excited to once again celebrate our continued success in the graduation rate. It truly reflects the dedication of the faculty and staff of Lowndes High School and the entire Lowndes County School System. For the seventh consecutive year, Lowndes High School’s graduation rate has exceeded 90% and continues to surpass the state average.

Of the Georgia high schools with more than 600 graduates, Lowndes High School ranked in the top ten in the state. The Class of 2023 is to be commended for their commitment to excellence, and we wish them well as part of the #OneLowndes family,” LeAnne McCall, the LHS principal said in an email Thursday.

The state’s report mainly showed a difference in Lowndes High School’s class sizes. In 2022, the LHS graduation cohort was smaller with 693 students. A total of 661 students graduated out of the 2022 cohort.

LCS Interim Superintendent Sandra Wilcher said in a statement, “This graduation rate is a positive indicator of student success and the hard work of teachers and other staff members to ensure students are prepared for opportunities beyond high school. We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of the Class of 2023. There is no doubt that they will do great things in life!”

The same difference can be made for Valdosta High School. The Wildcats 95.3% rate dropped only 1.3 value points to 93.9% this year. In May 2023, 433 students out of the 461-person cohort graduated. The 2022 cohort was larger than the 2023 cohort by 47 students.

“Valdosta City Schools is extremely proud of Valdosta High School for maintaining such an exemplary high school graduation rate. This a testament of the hard work and commitment of our students, families, and our entire preK-12 faculty and staff.

We look forward to continuing this winning tradition of academic excellence,” Dr. Craig Lockhart, superintendent for Valdosta City Schools, said in an emailed statement Thursday.

Lockhart’s email continued, “When calculating graduation rates, any increase or decrease of 3% or less is deemed statistically insignificant. Because the rate is calculated by following an individual student’s enrollment, natural occurrences such as moves in and out of a school can sometimes be difficult to capture if district officials cannot find exactly where the student lands after leaving. Valdosta City Schools has one of the highest transient population rates of all districts in the state of Georgia. We believe this to be one of the sole factors in the slight decrease from the 2022 rate.”