VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The high school Class of 2024 made history across the State of Indiana, and locally in Vigo County.
According to the Indiana Department of Education, the Class of 2024 represents the highest state graduation rate on record. VCSC Superintendent Dr. Chris Himsel says that the increase will positively impact Vigo County.
“These graduation rates make a difference in terms of having employers choose to stay in Terre Haute or having new employers move and relocate to Terre Haute, and that’s why this is important for us,” Himsel said. “That’s also the reason why it’s important for us to take a look at not just barely graduating, but earning a diploma with a technical or academic honors diploma that has more skills.”
Statewide, the increase in graduation rate was only a little above one percent, but Vigo County’s increased by 7.7, totaling out at 84.7 percent.
“It’s a testament that we have parents and we have kids who are vastly interested and want to graduate and it’s important to them,” Himsel said. “It’s also that we have counselors and teachers and administrators who are willing to invest in our kids and help them find a path to success.”
Himsel adds that this is only one year’s worth of data and he wants to see if the increase continues.
“I would like to think it’s because our teachers, our counselors, our parents, our administrators did great work to get some kids across the stage last year that wouldn’t have made it otherwise,” Himsel said. “We’re really not going to know if that’s a trend until we actually get three or four or five years worth of data.”
In 2024, West Vigo High School led the way with a graduation rate of 94.9 percent.
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