INDIANAPOLIS — A west side school district is touting its graduation rates.
New numbers obtained by RTV6 show MSD Wayne’s district graduation rate for the 2017-18 school year was 90.96 percent.
Ben Davis High School’s 2018 graduation rate was 92.8 percent, and for the eighth straight year, Ben Davis University High School achieved a 100-percent graduation rate.
Superintendent Jeff Butts credited many factors for the district’s graduation rate.
“We have extremely strong high school curriculum and great teachers, of course,” Dr. Butts says. “But a high-quality education in MSD Wayne starts long before that, with our engaging early-childhood program. It continues throughout our elementary and middle schools, with well-rounded instruction that gets stronger in STEM subjects with every passing year. By the time our students reach high school, they are well-prepared to succeed.”
District spokeswoman Mary Lang said high school students can receive support including study tables, tutoring, after-school transportation, and alternative programs.
The district aims to provide students with a vision of what they need to do during their high school years in order to pursue college or careers after high school.
Ben Davis High School and Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center serve more than 4,200 students from Wayne Township and 24 other school districts, said Lang.
Ben Davis High School offers more than 20 advanced placement classes and its students earned more than 6,000 college credits during the 2017-18 school year, records show.
The Indiana Association of School Principals named Principal Sandra Squire the 2018 High School Principal of the Year for Marion County.
“Our graduation rates reflect the support of a great community,” said Superintendent Butts. “We appreciate everything those who live and work in Wayne Township do to help keep our schools strong.”
Ben Davis High School math teacher Sarah Shannon was a Top Ten Finalist in the 2019 Indiana Department of Education Teacher of the Year competition.
Founded in 2007, Ben Davis University High School (BDU) is MSD Wayne’s early college high school.
