While Graduation Day is a celebration for every high school student, Greenfield-Central High School administrators are celebrating every victory– including those who may not have made it had it not been for a personal touch from an educator who cares.
Greenfield-Central High School saw its second-highest graduation rate in recent history, with nearly 93% in the 2025 class earning a diploma.
The school’s graduation rate has been trending upward in recent years, thanks to an all-hands-on deck approach to helping students complete their work.
“We have so many people who work hard to get kids across the finish line – right up until the October deadline,” said Assistant Superintendent Jason Cary, referring to the final fall deadline to count students in the 2025 school year. “I think about our counselors, administrators and the great people at our Academy. They are persistent, they work hard, and they never give up on their kids. Our students are lucky to have such amazing adults working there.”
Cary was high school principal prior to passing on the torch to Dan Walbaum in the 2024-2025 school year. Both have worked hard to make an impact on high school students by encouraging teachers and counselors to ensure each individual’s personal needs are met.
Counselors and administrators meet regularly to review upperclass students, and to determine who may be at risk to graduate and what interventions would work best for them.
Some need online course software to catch up on credits in advisory blocks– smaller classes to help students.
Others need a different setting entirely: The Academy is a space in the building just south of the high school, where students can work at their own pace, in a quiet,calm setting.
A recent afternoon at The Academy had soft music playing; students on headphones getting help as needed from two teachers making rounds.
Senior Zaine Wilson values the relaxed atmosphere of The Academy.
“Last year I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to graduate at all,” Wilson said. “Just working at my own pace let me see what I’m able to do.”
Jayla Pleak, a sophomore, said the fast pace of the busy high school wasn’t for her. She found it was better for her mental health to attend The Academy, where it’s capped at 30 students in a half-day program.
Hanging around the room are colorful ribbons with names of students, adorned with Cougar paw prints representing a credit of coursework completed with the help of The Academy. Some just have one or two paw prints, while others are loaded with nearly a dozen.
The ribbons are presented to each student on their Graduation Day to celebrate their work, and the community they found at The Academy.
Lead teacher Jill Benvenutti said some students who attend The Academy spend half their day at the high school and come to The Academy to finish up a few credits they fell behind on. Other students use The Academy to make up credits while they work the other half of the day, or care for a little one at home. Still others have medical issues to where they can’t attend a full day of school.
Benvenutti said while Graduation Day is important for every senior, those that attend The Academy can choose to attend a special ceremony just for them.
“For a lot of them, this is their Everest– they didn’t have the certainty every day that they were going to graduate,” she said, adding that 30-50 students graduate annually with help from The Academy. “There are a lot of tears at graduation. And we have the unwavering support and understanding every level up the chain, all the way to the superintendent. There is never any sense that these students are less important.”
The Academy is in its 10th year, and Benvenutti credits retired teacher Todd Grimes and Nathan Bruck, assistant principal at GCHS, for building the program.
Bruck said in addition to working with students who need The Academy, the high school’s counselors and administrators meet regularly to discuss who may need additional help.
Counselor Sarah Graham, for example, says she conducts regular check-ins with grade monitoring, goal setting and developing practical skills to help students stay on track.
“Teachers are in regular communication with school counselors, teachers of record, and administrators to help with graduation completion,” Graham said. “Additionally, teachers work tirelessly with students and reach out to parents when needed.”
Principal Dan Walbaum said GC shines in the area of meeting students individually.
“At our size, we have many different options at our disposal to help students be motivated and successful,” Walbaum said. “Of course, it still comes down to the young people who control their own success.”
All GC teachers go the extra mile for students, Walbaum said. This year, special credit goes to Counselor Sherri Foster and Assistant Principal Nick Ragan, who stayed in touch with two students who came in on the last day to graduate in time to be considered a 2025 graduate.
The final 2025 graduation rate at 92.2% is up from last year’s 89% rate. In 2023, the rate was closer to 88%. The highest rate in recent history was 94.5% in 2020.
Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin said he is very pleased with the increasing graduation rate, and is grateful for Walbaum and the rest of the staff at GCHS.
“This particular statistic, however, is a result of the commitment that is made by many students, families, and PreK-12 educators,” Olin said. “It truly has been a partnership to see this improvement become a reality. Prior to 2016, Greenfield-Central had only eclipsed the 90% graduation rate on one occasion. Since that year, we have only missed that mark on a couple occasions. We still have some work ahead of us on this particular metric, because we would ultimately like to see that rate at 100%. We need all students to understand the importance of reaching that minimum educational threshold, because the vibrancy of our future community is dependent on it.”
With new graduation requirements on the horizon, GCHS administrators and counselors say they are ready to continue their work to collaborate and champion efforts to help students succeed.
Cary said while the work at The Academy is amazing, the entire team at the high school is to be commended.
“They meet regularly, they share the insights they have about a student’s particular situation, and they problem-solve ways to wrap those kids in support,” Cary said. “I think the thing that always amazes me is how – even at a school our size – our people know each and every student and what they need to be successful. That doesn’t mean we always get those kids across the finish line, but they do everything in their power to give them the best chance to be successful. And you can’t say that everywhere.”
By Maribeth Vaughn
(GCHS counselors pictured during a staff meeting) With new graduation requirements on the horizon, GCHS administrators and counselors say they are ready to continue their work to collaborate and champion efforts to help students succeed.