News this week that Vicksburg Warren School District’s graduation rate continues to move in the right direction was welcomed. The Class of 2017 included 623 graduates, which was nearly a two percent increase from the year before at 72.4 percent and well a head of the 58.5 percent from the Class of 2013.

Vicksburg High School had a graduation rate of 71.3 percent in 2017 and Warren Central had a graduation rate of 73.6 percent.

Over the last five years, the state average has climbed from 74.5 percent to 83 percent. VWSD continues to gain, however, on the state average increasing 12.6 percent over that same five-year period.

At the same time, the graduation rate continues to climb, the dropout rate continues to be among the worst in the state. VWSD had the sixth highest dropout rate in the state at 20.9 percent. According to numbers provided by the district, Vicksburg High’s dropout rate was 22.6 percent and Warren Central’s was 19 percent in 2017.

Implementing new programs such as Leader in Me, which was rolled out district-wide this school year, and the career academy programs, which will be fully implemented at the high schools next year, are expected to improve the dropout rate.

VWSD also continues to overcome the odds.

Of the 623 graduates, 570, or 91.5 percent, are considered by the Mississippi Department of Education to be “economically disadvantaged.”

“The district is always working to expand educational opportunities for all our students and targeting students with greater needs,” superintendent Chad Shealy said. “Our graduation rate for students who are identified as economically disadvantaged is actually higher than that of the district as a whole as 74.7 percent of our economically disadvantaged students graduated while the rate for the entire district is 72.4.”

Although the graduation numbers are improving, Shealy acknowledges the VWSD is not where it needs to be.

“While we are encouraged by the steady increase in our graduation rate and pleased that the rate is higher than it has been in many years, there is still more work to be done,” Shealy said. “The VWSD is dedicated to graduating all students college career ready and prepared for life.”

We are glad to hear that from the superintendent as VWSD enters a critical point with a very important $83 million school bond issue set for March 27.

With the continued improvement in graduation rates, VWSD is doing its part to ensure our adults of tomorrow are graduating with a degree and becoming a viable part of the economic vitality necessary for our community to thrive and lower that number of “economically disadvantaged” students. Now it’s the responsibility of us to make sure VWSD has the facilities necessary to continue that improvement.