With the school’s AP pass rate hitting 83 percent and the graduation rate inching up one more percentage point to 94, Assistant Principal Charlotte Robinson is beyond proud.

“We’ve been really strong in our progression of AP pass rates,” Robinson said. “It just goes to show the dedication of our teachers and the hard work of our students.”

Over the last five years, the AP pass rates have hovered between 81 and 86 percent. The 2013 data gives Starr’s Mill a glowing reputation as the leader among the five high schools in the Fayette County district in AP scores. Four hundred and ten students were tested and evaluated, said Robinson, of which 340 scored above a three on the AP test.

“We try to aim for a three during testing,” Robinson said. “The College Board scores AP success on a scale of one to five, so a three is excellent.”

Many schools in the district such as McIntosh and Whitewater have high success rates as well, bordering on 82 percent, but Robinson does not view the numbers as a competition.

“We rarely think about our rates with such good teachers on the job,” Robinson said. “It’s more about learning and teaching successfully than trying to beat another school with a percentage.”

The state AP success rate, with a three or above, is 56 percent and the global rate is 61 percent. “Any school that meets or exceeds the state average is doing a fantastic job,” Robinson said. “In order to meet a state average, a lot of work must be put into the AP department.”

The AP pass rate may seem low compared to the graduation rate over the last five years. But the state has recently changed the method used to judge graduation rates, and in both variations of measurement, Starr’s Mill maintains the highest rate in the school district.

In 2013 the graduation rate was 93 percent, resulting in a one percent increase over the previous year, Principal Audrey Toney said. “We meet the threshold of graduation rates across the state. The district average is 89.5 percent, a number that has climbed over the last five years,” she said.

“Our success should be attributed to the quality teachers we have in this school,” Toney said. “It’s more about learning than enhancing our percentage. Our teachers make sure to develop relationships with the students on an individual level, which helps ensure academic success in Starr’s Mill and beyond.”

Not all students are guaranteed to graduate. According to Toney, it takes hard work and dedication. The school has striven for success yearly, using programs like Lunch and Learn, Second Chance and Credit Recovery.

“Our percentage really just means that we have hard-working students, dedicated teachers and diligent guidance counselors,” Toney said. “Our school leads the district because of its determination for success.”