Habersham County had a “historic” year in 2024 as one of the top public school systems in both the region and the state.
Recent SAT, ACT, attendance and graduation rate data was unveiled to members of the public at a board of education meeting Monday, Oct. 21.
In 2024, Habersham County earned the top mean SAT score of 1078 among all 14 public school systems in the Pioneer RESA District.
A 1600 is considered a “perfect” SAT score, according to the Princeton Review. Of the roughly 2 million students who take the SAT each year, only around 300-500 achieve a perfect score.
Habersham County students’ mean score of 1078 exceeded the state average by 48 points and the national average by 83 points for public school students.
A ‘mean’ score
Figures presented Monday show Habersham County students surpassed the region as a whole on both the evidence-based reading and writing and math sections of the SAT, ranking 16th of 169 public school districts statewide that reported scores for more than fifteen students.
Students’ mean score of 558 on evidence-based reading and writing beat both the state average of 527 and the national average of 507. In math, Habersham County’s Class of 2024 earned a mean score of 520, which exceeded the state average of 503 and the national average of 488.
The average ACT score among Habersham students (22.6) also ranked 10th best in the state.
“I am extremely proud of the exceptional SAT scores posted by the Habersham Central High School Class of 2024,” Habersham Central High School Principal Adam Bagwell said. “Considered along with the many other impressive student accomplishments of recent years, these scores provide yet further evidence of our school community’s commitment to academic excellence.”
At the Monday meeting, Superintendent Matthew Cooper called the data a historic achievement for the Habersham County School System.
“As superintendent, I am very proud of the progress our students have made on the SAT,” Cooper said. “Habersham County continues to outperform most systems in our state. This kind of performance by our high school students is nothing short of exceptional. The success our students have had on the SAT is something that our entire community can be very proud of. I commend our students, parents, teachers and administrators for this fantastic accomplishment.”
Habersham’s 2024 SAT results also show a notable increase from last year’s score of 1041.
“This is another example of the premier school system we have in Habersham County,” Assistant Superintendent Patrick Franklin said. “Students scoring above the state and national averages is a testament to the parents, guardians, teachers and staff in our community. Our high school students exceeding at this level is a clear sign our mission ‘Success for all Students’ is alive and well.”
Graduation rate
Habersham’s School System came in at number one in the region and top 10 in the state in graduating students.
Of all 24 high schools in the region, Habersham Central’s Class of 2024 saw the highest percentage of graduates at 98.5%.
Below Habersham, Lumpkin County was a close second at 98.3%; third was Hart County with a rate of 98.1% and fourth was Union County at 96.5%.
Habersham Success Academy, an alternative education program, reported the eighth highest graduation rate (93.8%) of schools in the region. Cooper noted the academy’s 5-year graduation rate is a full 100%.
“The 5-year rate isn’t talked about much,” he said. “In some cases, that rate can be very important. Sometimes, a student gets behind and when a school does a great job of catching them up on their credits and gets them to the finish line, that should be recognized.”
For the overall graduation rate, which combines the 4-year and 5-year rates, Habersham County set a new personal record with a total of 98% this year.
The school district also was number one in the region in 2024 RESA attendance rankings.
Habersham County Board of Education Chairman Doug Westmoreland, a former teacher in the school system for 28 years, commended staff members across all grade levels for the recent “success of all students.”
“It’s fantastic news. The data that has been presented tonight is just outstanding – the SAT, ACT scores, and even the attendance,” Westmoreland said. “I’m just proud of my system because it’s not just one group or one grade. It’s an accumulation from elementary all the way to high school. It’s a great effort from everybody to do that.”
