Last year was a time of innovation, achievement, and change across campus. Despite all of these changes and growth that happened, one thing remains constant: the extremely successful graduating classes.

The graduating class of 2018 was no exception.

Last year’s graduating class was seemingly astronomical; hence why the graduation ceremony took place at Arizona State University’s Wells Fargo Arena. Exactly eight hundred and seventy-nine graduates on campus walked across the stage joined with graduates from other schools such as Chandler Online Academy, Chief Hill Learning Academy, etc. In total, over nine hundred students walked across the stage to graduate.

Although there was over nine hundred graduates with differing plans for their future, the graduation rate was 96%. Regarding this impressively high graduation rate, assistant principal Joe Greene says, “We’re pretty much consistently one of the highest graduation rates in the district – if not the highest.” Greene proceeds to explain that across the vast majority of the graduating classes, the rate has sat around 95% to 97%.

Out of those graduating students, approximately 86% of them went to pursue a higher form of education. Exactly 59% of the class attended a four-year college (whether it is in or out of state). 13% of students chose to attend a community college, and 14% of students joined either the military, a military academy, or a trade school. Overall, last year’s graduating class earned $23,425,046 of scholarship money.

Although the graduating class of 2018-2019 is roughly one hundred students short of last year’s graduating class, Greene still strongly believes that they will be able to uphold the same standards as last year’s graduating class. Once again, he mentions our consistent academic success when he explains, “What we do is consistent across the board…even though we kind of dip and ebb and flow [with the number of graduating students] the numbers pretty much all stay the same.” In other words, our school’s consistency with academic excellence has given it an outstanding reputation and will continue in the future.

If students are lacking an idea on what to do after high school, Greene explains that there are several resources that can help a student develop an idea on what may be the best path for them. Whether that choice is to attend a four-year college or a community college, join the military, or anything in between, there is help for any student unsure of what they want to do after high school. No matter what a student may want to do, there is likely a resource here to help them pave a potential path of success for themselves.