More W.Va. High School Students Graduating, DOE Figures Show

High school students in West Virginia are graduating at a much higher rate than they did 13 years ago, according to figures released by the West Virginia Department of Education at its December meeting in Charleston.

Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt shared the data, which showed a 92.8% graduation rate for the 2024-25 school year, up more than 11% from 81.4% in  2012, when this year’s grads started kindergarten.

The figures also show improvements in the number of public school students needing intervention in literacy and math.

The data indicates more students entering kindergarten through third grade are now meeting beginning-of-the-year benchmarks since the West Virginia Legislature passed the Third Grade Success Act in 2023. 

It made a number of strategic changes meant to shore up support for early learners, including establishing an approved list of assessment screeners and placing assistant teachers in K-3 classrooms. 

The figures show the need for second grade literary interventions declined from 34% in 2023 to 30.2% in 2025, while the need for math interventions declined from 37.3% to 29.9% in the same two-year period.