High Schools in Rome City

Rome High School is the sole high school serving grades 9-12 in the Rome City district, a single-school setup that makes its performance the direct driver of the district's overall state standing.

For parents, the most encouraging news is that Rome High School graduates its students at a remarkably high rate—95.7% compared to the state's 87.2%—and its dropout rate of just 0.5% is five times lower than the state average. The school has also been steadily climbing the state rankings, moving from the 36th to the 40th percentile over the past two years, with notable academic gains in Algebra I (up 4.1 points) and U.S. History (up 7.9 points). However, proficiency on End of Course assessments remains below state averages across all subjects, with the largest gap in Biology (32.4% proficient vs. 47.2% statewide). The school serves a high-poverty population, with nearly 89% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and per-student spending is $12,956 with a 16.1:1 student-teacher ratio.

The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism: 25.7% of students are chronically absent, which is nearly double the district's rate of 13.8% and well above the state's 17.7%. This suggests a school-specific engagement challenge that likely hampers academic growth, even as the school successfully supports students to graduation. The combination of strong graduation outcomes, improving test scores in several subjects, and a rising state ranking indicates positive momentum, but closing the proficiency gaps—especially in Biology—and tackling the absenteeism issue will be critical for continued improvement. Since this is the only high school in the district, its trajectory directly shapes the entire Rome City district's reputation and performance.