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State Education Commissioner Tours Bennett High School

By Eileen Buckley

Buffalo, NY – The State Education Commissioner checked up on a Buffalo high school Thursday to see how it is working to improve graduation rates. Richard Mills toured Bennett High School on Main Street with Superintendent Williams and other district officials.

Mills says Bennett is among 127 high schools in the state with low graduation rates...

"Right now, the statewide graduation rate is 64 percent," Mills said. "That's far too low. When you break down the data, you see an even more disturbing picture."

But Mills says he is convinced that Bennett's rate is on the way up.

Bennett's principal says they are working on ways to create smaller learning environments, called magnet programs, for the school's more than 950 students. Bennett has also started a state initiative to improve literacy skills.