Peach County High Added To Georgia D.O.E. ‘Priority List’

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Georgia Department of Education recently added Peach County High School to its priority list.

It puts the school in the low achieving category for schools across Georgia.

According to Peach County Board of Education chairman Jamie Johnson, graduation rates dropped to 63 percent, test scores are on a downward slope and what was once a high achieving area for students is now a problem.

“I’ve seen a dip in our math scores due to that change, but also we have seen some great potential gains,” says Johnson.

The board is analyzing the current curriculum, and staff to make future improvements.

On the Georgia Department of Education website, schools added to the priority list are considered to have:

· The lowest of 5 percent achievement level statewide

· The graduation rate has been below 60 percent for the past two years

· Or, the school is receiving a federal school improvement grant

41NBC spoke with a Georgia Department of Education specialist who says Peach County High is considered the lowest of 5 percent of the schools across Georgia, which is the main reason they are on the list.

“I want to be able to make sure that we are going and serving all of our students at Peach County,” Johnson says, “We’re also trying to find a way we can continue to build upon that and make Peach County High school one of the greatest high school in the state.”

The next board meeting is Tuesday, February 25 at Bryon Middle School at 6:00 p.m.

Board members plan to discuss plans on how to improve Peach County High School before the next school year.