The director of the Avon Maitland District School says the province and school boards have put a lot of effort into improving graduation rates and it's gratifying to see that work pay off.
Ontario's high school graduation rate has increased to 85.5 per cent, the highest level in the province's history.
Director Ted Doherty says the Avon Maitland Board is not far behind the provincial average at 83%, but he also points out a diploma is not the only way they measure student success.
Doherty says they have students who are working towards a certificate of achievement and they are happy with the progress they're making with those students.
Doherty believes they are building independent students in great numbers and that doesn't always translate into a diploma.