Local Catholic school board sees above-average high school graduation rates

GUELPH – Nearly 95 per cent of Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) students leave high school with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma within five years of starting Grade 9.

Superintendent of education Betty Farrell  presented a report about education rates during a Dec. 1 board meeting.

She said out of 72 boards, WCDSB has the ninth highest five-year graduation rate.

And its four-year graduation rate is in the top quarter, she added, at 86%.

The graduation rates are based on students who started Grade 9 in September 2019.

Overall, 84% of Ontario students who began Grade 9 that year graduated within four years, and 89.5% of students who started Grade 9 the year before graduated within five years.

The five-year graduation rate for Upper Grand District School Board students is 89.4%.

The board with the highest five-year graduation rate in Ontario is York Catholic District School Board at 97.4%.

To earn their diploma, WCDSB students must:

complete at least 30 credits including four in religious education and two online learning credits;

meet the Ontario secondary school literacy requirement; and

complete 40 hours of community learning involvement activities.