"A to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians for cutting the high school drop-out rate in half during the last two years. A UNC study based on statistics from 2009 reported that the Cherokee region had a dropout rate of 12 percent, nearly four times the state average. The current rate has dropped to 5.7 percent, still high for the region but more similar to that of surrounding counties. Joyce Dugan, a former principal chief and top leader of Cherokee Central Schools, credited the decreased rate to the $140 million elementary, middle and high school campus built in 2009 as well as renewed emphasis on academic excellence and accountability by the school board, administration, staff and parents."

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Report Card for July 26 (The Asheville Citizen Times 7/26)

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Cherokee dropout rate plummets (The Ashveille Citizen-Times 7/25)