COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew County high school’s graduation rates dipped for the Class of 2022, with all four high schools showing a decline in the percentage of students graduating.
In contrast, Indiana’s overall graduation rate is holding relatively steady compared to last year. For the class of 2022, 86.61% of Hoosier seniors graduated — 73,180 out of a cohort of almost 84,500, according to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). In 2021, 86.69% of Indiana seniors graduated.
At a local level, 2022 graduation rates were as follows, according to state officials:
- Columbus North High School — 83.22%, down from its 84.09% rate in 2021
- Columbus East High School — 78.16%, down from its 85.86% rate in 2021
- Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. overall — 81.08%, down from 84.86% rate in 2021
- Hauser High School — 75.28%, down from its 93.42% in 2021
Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. Superintendent Shawn Price said that school officials do not believe its reported percentage to be accurate for 2022. According to the school’s data, 78 out of 89 students graduated in 2022, or about 87.6%. The state reported that only 67 out of 89 graduated.
Flat Rock-Hawcreek is working with the state to resolve the issue, which seems to involve some students being miscategorized as still being in school.
As for BCSC, Superintendent Jim Roberts said that a decrease in graduation figures was anticipated, as the class of 2022 had three school years that were interrupted by COVID-19.
He added school officials will work to examine individual cases and circumstances that kept students — both at East and BCSC in general — from graduating. Their hope is that this will show what additional supports and systems are needed in order to remove barriers.
“What works well for one child may not work for another child,” said Roberts. “And we have to find ways to get that student through and graduated, regardless of what that alternative might be.”
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
