With the bittersweet goodbye of the Class of 2025, this graduating class was marked as unparalleled for a reason. I mean, not just because it was the sendoff for a bright group of (now) Robinson alumni, but rather that it was accompanied by a remarkable 7% increase in the school’s graduation rate, bringing the rate to 93%. This is a significant improvement from previous years, reflecting Robinson’s intentionality and mutual commitment to improve both students’ everyday lives and future endeavors.
As noted by our Regional Superintendent, Robert Nelson, in a congratulatory letter, this “changes the trajectory of a student’s life and strengthens our community.” The combined efforts between the students and staff proved to be worthwhile, as the school recorded the fourth-highest increase in graduation rates among all the schools in the district.
This milestone showcases a stronger, smarter approach to student intake and follow-up, keeping careful track of every student and their records, a point echoed by Principal Dave Brown.
“Once a kid enters ninth grade, we’re responsible for them, our guidance takes control, knocking on doors, looking for kids, following up with them,” Brown said.
Efforts like these drove this achievement. The staff here didn’t just settle for the bare minimum; they took a more thoughtful, hands-on approach, guaranteeing students’ success and support, further allowing them to measure their dedication and accomplishments. Especially with three months left of this school year, our social workers, along with Assistant Principal Pettit and Principal Brown, are putting their utmost effort into reaching the students to see where they’re at. Focusing on spending one-on-one time so students can obtain the requirements needed to graduate.
Nevertheless, though this is the first “notable” improvement in graduation rates in Robinson’s history, Principal Brown already installed systems projected to help us reach that 100% goal in years to come.
To graduate, everyone must meet reading and math benchmarks. To ensure both happen, “There are systems put in place to make sure when kids disappear. We can find them and continue focusing on these kids and meet the benchmarks,” Brown said.
With persistence and initiative leading the way, Robinson High is poised to see an entire class cross the graduation stage, a triumph of years in the making. These big jumps are what are setting the stage for greater success to come.
