ROBERTSDALE, Ala. -- In a little over a month and a half area students will don caps and gowns and walk across stages to accept their diplomas as high school graduates.

“At the beginning of the year, our seniors made a commitment to strive for 100 percent graduation,” said Robertsdale High School Principal Craig Ross. “We held an assembly in the fall and encouraged all our students at that assembly to still be in school in the spring.”

While that goal was not quite met, through grass roots programs like the Peer Helpers “Stop the Drop” campaign, RHS has made great strides to increase the number of graduates at the school.

Two years ago the state adopted the “National Governors’ Conference” graduation rate formula of calculating graduation rates. It is based on an identifiable group of students who start their freshman year together. At the end of four years, the number graduating is compared to the number who started the freshman year together which results in a graduation rate percentage.

“When I started at Robertsdale High School two and a half years ago, our graduation rate that first year was 58 percent,” Ross said. “My commitment when I started was to get everyone involved in the education process in order to keep students active and interested.”

Ross said he asked parents, students and teachers what the school could do to make the students’ expedience better.

The result was an electives program that includes 30 new programs introduced into the school, including the introduction of new drama and music programs while expanding the school’s band and ROT programs.

“The vast majority of these ideas came directly from the teachers,” he said. “Quite a few of them came from the students themselves. I believe by being made to feel that they are involved in their own education and by giving them reasons to come to school beyond just books and studying, that has made a lasting impact on our students.”

Since the 2010-11 school year, RHS has increased its graduation rate by one of the largest margin in the state, increasing 11 percent to 69 percent in 2011-12 and another 10 percent, to 79 percent in 2012-13.

Baldwin County as a whole increased its graduation rates from 74 percent in 2012 to 80 percent in 2013, a 6 percent increase. Baldwin County schools had 139 more graduates in 2013 than would have graduated under the previous percentage.

“That means that 139 more kids have a chance at a good life,” said Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee. “That incredible increase is a result of the outstanding work of teachers and principals across the county.”

While Ross will be moving on from RHS at the end of this school year, he believes the commitment shown by the students and teachers will continue to grow.

“We will be introducing at least five new academies over the next school year and I believe that will result in another 5 to 7 percent increase in our graduation rate,” he said.

There is also a renewed commitment between the city of Robertsdale and the school to work together, expanding the school’s sports facilities.

This has been exemplified by the recent opening of new city tennis courts that will be used by the school’s teams and the purchase by the city of 25 acres of property behind the school with one expressed purpose of expanding the school’s athletic facilities on the property.

“We have great students and a great faculty here at Robertsdale High School,” he said, “and I know they will continue to work toward providing a legacy of which everyone can be proud.”