Graduation rate rises to 86.3% in Clayton County, district officials say

District leaders told the Board of Education on Sept. 29 that Clayton County Public Schools’ 2025 graduation results show continued improvement.

Dr. Keith Colbert and Dr. Delphia Young reviewed the four-year cohort rate and subgroup performance. The district reported a 4-year cohort graduation rate of 86.3% for 2025, an increase of 3.3 percentage points from the prior year and near the state rate of 87.2%. Presenters said seven of 12 schools increased their graduation rates and highlighted several schools with long-running high rates, including Elite Scholars and Stillwell.

Administrators also highlighted gains across subgroups: Black, Hispanic, multiracial, white, economically disadvantaged, English learners and students with disabilities all showed improvements that, in aggregate, outpaced state growth in some categories. Officials said the 5-year cohort (which includes summer graduates) also supports overall progress and helps capture students who complete requirements after the May graduation.

Board members asked about two schools that declined (Forest Park and Drew). Staff said the data were just released and they will perform a root-cause analysis to identify targeted interventions. "Once the data is released, the first strategy is to be very reflective," a district official said, noting that staff will examine subgroup-specific performance to determine whether declines reflect coding issues, transient populations or targeted academic gaps.

What’s next: district staff will analyze the decline at Forest Park and Drew, present root-cause findings to the Board and continue monitoring subgroup progress and targeted interventions.