More high school students are graduating early across the Upper Cumberland.
Just under 140 Putnam County students graduated in December. Upperman High School Principal Justin Campbell said most students want to graduate early to get a head start in entering the workforce.
“Maybe they got a job while they were in school and they start making some pretty good money,” Campbell said. “So I think for a lot of those students that kind of the driving factor there is to get out there and make money, be successful, and provide for themselves and eventually a family.”
Cookeville High graduated 60 students early, Monterey High had 15 and Upperman reported a school record 63. Campbell said a big reason for the strong number of early grads is due to Upperman having one of the largest senior classes in school history.
Campbell said in Putnam County a student with three credits left for their senior year, can double up on English and Math classes for the fall semester rather than spreading it across a whole school year. Campbell said school counselors sit down with parents to help decide if participating in the program is a good idea for their child.
“At the end of the day, we want the students to be able to graduate,” Campbell said. “If you are behind the credits for whatever reason early grad is not the path we want you to go down. We want to make sure you get your graduation requirements and it may not even be an option. Whereas students who are on a track it is definitely an option.”
Campbell said students are still allowed to participate in spring events and graduation at the end of the year. Campbell said students who play spring sports have to do work-based learning or take elective classes to remain eligible for sports.
“Once you are an early grad you are no longer a student at Upperman High School, Campbell said. “But we do have opportunities for students who do play sports. We can do a lot of things to help out students who play sports who don’t have a packed senior and we can still make it beneficial for them.”
Campbell said he is glad to see strong numbers of early grads as it means the Putnam County Schools are providing opportunities that some students want.
“We don’t have a specific number that we would like to reach every year,” Campbell said. “We just really have opportunities that we want to provide and if we can provide those opportunities then that’s the goals that we want to be able to achieve.”
Campbell said the early grad program is not only hard on students but also hard on teachers as well as they have to pack material into one semester and make sure the students are able to comprehend it all.
