The proportion of students graduating from Windsor Essex Catholic high schools climbed to an all-time high in 2018.

Data from the Ontario Ministry of Education confirms 90.5 per cent of WECDSB students graduated from high school within five years in 2018, which is up from 89.1 per cent in 2017.

The provincial average is a graduation rate of 87.1 per cent.

86.6 per cent completed their diploma within four years, up from 83.5 in 2017, which is more than five percentage points higher than the provincial average of 81.2 per cent.

“We’ve never exceeded that 90 per cent threshold, so we’re delighted to see these numbers,” says Emelda Byrne, Executive Superintendent of Education. “Graduating from high school is a major determinant of future success, so we’re very pleased that more of our students are meeting expectations.”

“At every step of the way our teachers, guidance counselors, administrators and other support staff are working to know every student, helping them set goals and finding ways to fulfill their aspirations,” says Director of Education Terry Lyons. “There are many pathways to the same destination, and we try to create a multitude of those pathways for our students.”

School board chair Fulvio Valentinis says the board is focusing on creative programming like sports and STEM academies, which he believes is paying dividends for students.

“We’re delighted with these numbers and will continue to support our administration as they seek out even more unique ways for students to achieve their goals,” Valentinis says.