Clarkrange, Van Buren High Schools Lead Region in Graduation Rates

Clarkrange and Van Buren County High Schools lead the Upper Cumberland in graduation rates in 2018.

According to the Tennessee Department of Education, the two schools feature an overall graduation rating of 98.2 percent of all students. In fact, Van Buren saw one of the largest increases in graduates from 2017, seeing an increase of over eight percent from the previous year.

The Putnam County School System came in with the lowest rating among Upper Cumberland high schools, hovering around 90 percent. Cookeville, Upperman, and Monterey high schools were the bottom three in the region, respectively. Monterey High was the only school in the region to see less than 90 percent of students graduate.

However, schools in low-population counties saw higher graduation rates likely due to smaller student populations. Statistics from the Department of Education indicate schools with graduation classes of less than 75 students had the highest ratings. Schools in this category include Clarkrange (55 graduates), Clay County (64), Gordonsville (74), Pickett (63), and Van Buren (57).

Approximately 93 percent of high school students in the Upper Cumberland graduated in 2018, a rate four percent higher than the overall state graduation rating at 89 percent.