Centralia High School
Centralia High School has earned a School of Distinction Award from Educational Service District 113 for sustained improvement in its graduation rate over the past five years. The rate improved to 87 percent for the class of 2017.
The award was announced on Nov. 6.
High schools qualify for the award based on improvements to their five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, according to a press release from Centralia School District.
“This award recognizes the positive efforts our staff has been undertaking for five years now,” high school Principal Josue Lowe said in the release. “Five years ago, our graduation rate was 67.5 percent. For the class of 2017, we’ll report a four-year on time graduation rate of 87 percent. It represents an amazing amount of hard work by our students and an equally amazing amount of care put forward by our incredible Centralia High School staff.”
Lowe said the school will continue to focus on ways to increase the offerings of academic courses and rigor as a means to keep students focused on “graduation and beyond.”
Superintendent Mark Davalos said he is proud of the work that has taken place at Centralia High School from both the students and the staff.
“Our high school has an outstanding five-year trend showing dramatic improvement not just in the five-year cohort graduation rate, but in the important four-year on-time rate as well,” Davalos said in the release. “It’s very impressive and this is a well-deserved award for our Tigers.”
In the 2014-15 school year, Futurus High School formed from the Centralia Alternative Programs and Services program at Centralia High School. The change led to an immediate rise in graduation rates at Centralia High School. That rate has continued to grow districtwide since the move, according to the district.
"We recognize that there is still a lot of work to do on graduation rates in our district," Davalos said.
"This award for CHS is affirmation that we're moving in the right direction."
The award is granted by a partnerships of organizations which include the Center for Educational Effectiveness, the Association of Washington School Principals, the Association of Educational Service Districts, the Washington State Association for Curriculum Development, the Washington Association of School Administrators and the Washington State School Directors’ Association.
