The good news is the drop-out rate in Wilkes and across the state is down and the other good news is the graduation rate is up.  Last school year, 3.01 percent of high school students dropped out of school, according to the 2011-12 Consolidated Data Report presented to State Board of Education members this week. This rate represents a .42 percentage point decrease from the previous year’s rate of 3.43 percent and another record low.  In combination with that, North Carolina high schools reported a record-high 80.4 percent four-year cohort graduation rate for the class of 2012.  Locally, Wilkes County Schools' dropout rate went from 5.49 percent in 2008-09 to 2.46 percent in 2011-12, a decrease of 3.03 percentage points. Individual high school dropout rates and dropout totals in 2011-12 included Wilkes Central High, 3.40 percent with 30 dropouts; East Wilkes High, 3.16 percent with 18 dropouts; West Wilkes High, 2.24 percent with 16 dropouts; North Wilkes High, 1.40 percent with 10 dropouts; and Wilkes Early College High School, .58 of a percent with only one dropout.  Wilkes County Schools also had an all-time high 86.62 percent graduation rate for 2012.  The full report can be seen at www.ncpublicschools.org.