Columbia High School hosts its Class of 2020 Graduation ceremony on June 27, 2020.
Columbia High School’s four-year graduation rate remained at an impressive 97% for the Class of 2020 (students who entered high school in 2016), according to NYS Education Department data released on Thursday.
The East Greenbush Central School District’s graduation rate for this past year was 96%, which includes students who are residents of the district but attend schools outside Columbia based on special needs and other considerations.
Kason Romanowski ’20 holding his high school diploma during Columbia High School’s graduation ceremony.
The district continues to outperform the rest of the state by a large margin, which had an 84.8% graduation rate in 2020.
“I am proud of our faculty and staff for their continuous efforts to meet the needs of all students and help deliver these excellent results,” said Columbia Principal Michael Harkin. “I want to thank the Board of Education, Central Administration and our community for their support during a challenging year.”
Other data showed an improvement in graduation rates for students with disabilities (81% to 85%) and economically disadvantaged students (88% to 90%).
In an email sent to all district staff, Superintendent Jeff Simons congratulated teachers and staff for their contributions to this continued success.
“This achievement reflects the efforts of everyone in all schools – excellence in teaching and instruction, K-12; the support of our paraprofessional and support staff and the overall environment that we each contribute to which creates a safe, innovative and engaging learning environment for our students,” Mr. Simons wrote. “We are fortunate to serve in a community that supports its children and values high quality education. These values are reflected in practice by our board of education’s leadership and the focus of the members of our total administrative team.”
“With the struggles and frustrations of the pandemic,” he continued, “it is easy to lose sight of the good and forget the huge difference you make for the kids! The recently released graduation rates provide a nice boost and reminder that you are paving the path to a bright future for the students.”
| Year | Columbia | East Greenbush CSD | New York State |
| 2019-20 | 97 | 96 | 85 |
| 2018-19 | 97 | 96 | 83 |
| 2017-18 | 95 | 95 | 80 |
| 2016-17 | 97 | 96 | 80 |
| 2015-16 | 92 | 91 | 80 |
| 2014-15 | 94 | 94 | 78 |
Visit the NYS Education Department website to view this data.