Charles graduation rates dipped for Class of 2023

The Maryland State Department of Education released data revealing that overall graduation rate in Charles County dropped slightly but remained ahead of the state average.

The four-year graduation rate in Charles public high schools dropped slightly from 92.6% in 2022 to 90.2% in 2023. All of the local high schools graduated students at a rate of at least 86% or more, according to a press release from the school system.

Henry E. Lackey High School had the lowest graduation rate in the county at 86.61%, while North Point High School was the highest at 97.50%, the press release said.

Every school in the county remained above the state’s average graduation rate of 85.8%.

According to state data, 5.8% of students in Charles County’s Class of 2023 cohort dropped out of school. That was up from 3.89% in the Class of 2022 cohort.

The state’s reported average dropout rate for the Class of 2023 was 9.83%, according to the Maryland State Department of Education.

Some subgroups of students increased their graduation rates substantially in the past year, despite the overall drop.

The graduation rate for Hispanic/Latino students increased nearly 6% in 2023, from 78.95% in 2022 to 84.49% in 2023, and the graduation rate for students identified as English language learners rose from 62.12% to 73.33%, the press release said.

“Statistically, we recognize that our most vulnerable students are those in ninth and 10th grades,” Yonelle Moore Lee, the chairperson of the Charles school board, told Southern Maryland News. “We will be taking a closer look at those cohorts to determine what courses or other challenges may be deterring them from continuing on with their education and causing them to drop out.”

Superintendent Maria V. Navarro said the Charles school system’s graduation data still reflects learning losses tied to the pandemic.

“The school system continues to advance its work to ensure all students graduate on time with their peers — no matter their background or path to graduation,” Navarro said in the release. “The dropout data is concerning, and as a result, we have expanded multiple programs and opportunities for students to gain lost ground while in school to help them graduate on time.”

The superintendent emphasized that the school system will continue to focus on investments that ensure every student graduates prepared for college, a career or life pathway.

“Typically, if students finish 10th grade they are much more likely to graduate,” Moore Lee said. “However, we remain committed to our students’ success throughout their time with [Charles public schools]. We have also further developed our graduation tracker, which will help predict graduation rates and trends.”