While a new study, based on data from the 2003-2004 school year,puts Mississippi near the bottom in graduation numbers, Brookhavenand Lincoln County are far and above the state’s average.

Graduation rates were released recently for the nation, as wellas for individual school districts within each state for the2003-2004 school year.

“Children have no chance of success without either a high schooldiploma or a GED,” said Brookhaven Schools Superintendent LeaBarrett. “We look at that very closely. The board asks for a reporton that each year.”

Mississippi’s graduation rate was 62 percent, which was higherthan Alabama, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico and South Carolina.

The national graduation rate is 70 percent. Utah has the highestgraduation rate at 84 percent, and South Carolina has the lowestwith 54 percent.

Lincoln County Schools Superintendent Terry Brister said whilehis schools were far above the study’s stated rate of 62 percent,at 89 percent for the entire district, the focus will still be onpushing it higher in coming years.

“We’re not proud of those numbers,” he said. “To be reallyproud, we’d have to be at 100 percent. But we are of course gladand grateful to be above the state average.”

Barrett said since 2001 her district has consistently been abovethe 91 percent mark, and that possibly the numbers might stillbelie the actual success rate.

“There are several different ways to look at it. When you’ve gotgraduation rates, if ours is 91 you’d assume dropout rate is 9percent. Children with GEDs are not counted in the 91 percent, andchildren who are severely disabled and unable to complete thecurriculum are not included either. Before you can look at yourdropout rate accurately, you have to remove those children.”

On top of that, Brister said, local schools are trying to findincentives to keep kids in school until they receive theirdiplomas.

“What we’re doing is trying to coordinate a dropout preventionprogram with the state,” he said. “They’ll be sending us data fromtheir research and we’ll go by it as much as we can in as far as itconcerns our district.”

Barrett said while the superior graduation rates in our areasmight seem a product of the work of the school systems, a lot ofthe credit can be given to homes and a strong community spirit.

“I think you’re being idealistic not to recognize that thecommunity in which you are located does have something to do withthat. We have a community and parents that support and valueeducation and that high school diploma,” she said. “Our studentscome to us from homes in which the diploma matters, and I’mgrateful to parents who reinforce to their children that educationmatters.”

She said not only does the community help, but also the size ofa school district can help with dealing one-on-one withstudents.

“In a small school district perhaps you do have a little morepersonal interaction with the students. They’re not just a numberto us, and we go the extra mile, and we do make phone calls,” shesaid. “Plus, our school attendance officer, Bobby Bell, does awonderful job. I can’t say enough good about him.”