The Dougherty County School System’s 4-year Graduation rate bested the state average for the second straight year, increasing to 83.3 percent from 81.4 percent last year, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

The state average is 80.6 percent.

Three of the district’s four high schools showed improvement. Westover Comprehensive High School topped the list at 88.9%, Monroe Comprehensive High School was next at 86.5%, Albany High finished the year at 81.7% and Dougherty High improved nearly 5 percentage points to 75.9%.

“We’re proud of the continued progress that our schools are showing, “ Superintendent Kenneth Dyer said. “But, now, we’re refocused more than ever on building a culture where high school graduation is the expectation and where even more students take advantage of programs like Dual Enrollment so they can walk the stage with both a high school diploma and an associates degree or technical certification.”

This year, the Dougherty County School System is expecting to enroll nearly 1,000 students into Dual Enrollment programs at its high schools and the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy.