Charter Public Schools in Western Washington Celebrate High School Graduations
Class of 2024 achieves remarkable success with high college acceptance rates and first-generation students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 11, 2024
Seattle, WA – Five charter public schools in western Washington announced promising graduate outcomes for the class of 2024, demonstrating their commitment to academic excellence and preparing students for success beyond high school.
In total, 183 students graduated from the schools, which include Summit Olympus in Tacoma, Whatcom Intergenerational High School in Bellingham, and Summit Atlas, Summit Sierra, and Rainier Valley Leadership Academy in Seattle, and 68% of graduates have been accepted into 4-year colleges.
Key Accomplishments:
- More than 68% of graduates have been accepted into four-year colleges.
- More than 19% of the schools’ graduates are the first-generation to be accepted into 2- and 4-year colleges.
- At Summit Olympus High School, all 39 graduates have been accepted to four-year colleges, marking a 100% college acceptance rate for the school’s class of 2024.
- From 2023 data, Washington State’s charter public sector’s four-year graduation rate was 90%, compared to 84% for Washington State.
Charter public schools are free, public, open to all, and staffed by certified teachers. Washington state’s charter school law mandates high standards for performance and accountability in exchange for flexibility to offer innovative programs and individualize instruction to meet the unique needs of students.
Here in Washington, charter schools attract and serve disproportionately high percentages of Black, Indigenous, and students of color and students from low-income households.
“We are so excited to be celebrating these students’ success. The outstanding data shows that charter schools in Washington provide excellent educations and help prepare students for success, whether they choose college, other training or a career of their choice,” the Washington State Charter Schools Association said in a statement.
This year marks the first graduation cohort for Whatcom Intergenerational High School, the second for Rainier Valley Leadership Academy, the third for Summit Atlas, and the fifth for Summit Sierra and Summit Olympus.
About the Washington State Charter School Association
The Washington State Charter School Association is the non-profit organization advocating for high-impact, student-centered charter public schools in Washington State. Founded in 2013 following the approval of a ballot measure, we represent a network of 17 tuition-free, open-to-all, non-sectarian schools with over 5,000 students and alumni. Our member schools enroll higher rates of students of color (62%) and low-income students (52%) than traditional public schools.
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