91.72 percent graduation rate is the latest in a series of positive indicators of student outcomes
Newton County Schools has recorded its highest graduation rate in history, as 91.72 percent of the Class of 2026 earned a diploma, according to data released by the Georgia Department of Education.
The rate increased from 90.49 percent in 2025 and places Newton County Schools more than three percentage points above Georgia’s 2026 graduation rate of 88.5 percent. The district has now exceeded the state graduation rate for eight consecutive years.
The results extend across all three traditional high schools. Eastside High School recorded a school-record 95.15 percent graduation rate, while Newton High School reached a school-record 92.32 percent. Alcovy High School increased its graduation rate to 88.61 percent, its highest in three years and above the statewide rate.
Graduation rate is one measure in a broader pattern of student outcomes across the district. Over the past year, Newton County Schools has also reported gains in state assessments, career readiness, college credit and advanced academic achievement.
Among those results:
- CCRPI increased by nine points, with 21 of the district’s 24 schools improving.
- Students posted gains on the Georgia Milestones assessments, including a net increase of 134 students reaching the Proficient or Distinguished Learner levels in mathematics.
- The percentage of students earning an End-of-Pathway Assessment (EOPA) credential increased from 48 percent in 2023 to 70 percent in 2026.
- The number of students participating in dual enrollment increased from 295 to 640 which has expanded opportunities for students to earn college credit while in high school.
- The number of AP Scholars increased from 104 in 2023 to 239 in 2026.
- Six Newton County schools were recognized through Georgia’s Beating the Odds program, which recognizes schools whose students outperform expectations based on demographic and other factors.
The district's 2026 graduation results also reflect gains among student groups. Hispanic students graduated at a rate of 92.44 percent, the highest recorded rate for the group in the district’s available historical data. Economically disadvantaged students graduated at a rate of 92.06 percent, also a district record for the subgroup.
“A graduation rate is one number, but what makes this moment meaningful is that we are seeing evidence of progress in several different places across the student experience,” Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley III said. “More students are graduating. More students are demonstrating proficiency in core subjects. More students are earning career credentials and college credit. More students are being recognized for advanced academic achievement. Taken together, those results tell a larger story about what our students are accomplishing.”
Bradley said the district will celebrate the progress while maintaining its focus on the work ahead.
“We should be proud of these results, particularly because they represent the work of students and educators over many years,” Bradley said. “But the purpose of improvement is not simply to produce a better number. It is to give more young people a stronger set of options when they leave us – regardless of the path they choose for themselves.”
The Class of 2026 graduation rate also continues a longer-term upward trajectory. Newton County Schools’ graduation rate was 86.98 percent in 2018; the 91.72 percent rate recorded this year represents an increase of nearly five percentage points over that period.
Board of Education Chair Trey Bailey said the results are a reflection of the collective effort surrounding students. “Graduation is the culmination of years of work by students, educators, families and the community,” Bailey said. “We are proud of the Class of 2026 and grateful to everyone who has helped our students reach this point, and behind every number is a young person whose life is moving forward.”
Newton County Schools has increasingly treated student outcomes as a community measure, recognizing that the success of its graduates has implications well beyond the classroom.
“This belongs to the entire Newton County community,” Bradley said. “Our parents and families, our community organizations and so many others have helped create the conditions for our students to succeed. When more young people graduate with meaningful choices about what comes next, the entire community benefits.”