Ontario is graduating a record percentage of high school students but the local public board is lagging behind.
The Ontario Ministry of Education released the 2015 graduation rates from school boards across the province Tuesday. The percentage of students graduating within five years of starting high school reached 85.5% - an increase from 84.3% in 2014 - while the four-year rate is now at 78.3%.
The Thames Valley District School Board's five-year graduation rate sits at 78.2%, up from 77.2% in 2014.
Dr. Steve Killip, manager of research & assessment services for the TVDSB says people shouldn't read too much into the numbers.
"There are students who graduate in six years, they may come back and need one credit. We'd be remise if we said there are students who never graduate based on that rate," says Killip. "Students do find the credits they need and get the graduate diploma they need in various ways beyond the straight forward five-year rate that you see."
The London District Catholic School Board surpassed both the TVDSB and the province, with an 88.3% five-year graduation rate.
"We're very pleased," says Linda Staudt, director of education for the London and District Catholic School Board. "What it means is more of our students are getting that high school diploma. We know that for them it means success in future endeavours because without it, in a lot of cases, the doors are shut for them."
Staudt credits the hard work of elementary and high school teachers, along with parents for the boards high graduation rate.
Over the last 13 years the government has introduced a number of programs to boost graduations rates, including the Specialist High Skills Majors, dual credits, and expanded cooperative education.