WORTHINGTON -- Four counties in northwest Iowa -- Dickinson, Lyon, O'Brien and Osceola -- differed from the state on a number of child well-being indicators in 2007, according to a KIDS COUNT Data report just released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
And that's a good thing.
All four counties have a higher graduation rate than the state total of 90.5 percent, with Osceola County reporting a 100 percent graduation rate.
That percentage can't be totally accurate, said Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District Superintendent Jeff Herzberg. "We're still hoping that a couple of kids get their GEDs," he said, but agreed: "Our graduation rate is pretty high."
He continued: "I would say we have staff that are working very hard to make sure that each child is successful and making sure those kids walk across the stage. Because of the size of our schools, we're able to connect with every child and every family and that sure makes a difference to get those kids to graduate."
