While other local high schools could see a 10 to 20 percent drop in graduation rates this year according to new federal guidelines, the rates at Newsome and Bloomingdale high schools are expected to hold steady.

According to a Tampa Bay Times report, Bloomingdale's graduation rate is projected to fall only 1.8 percentage points to 90.3 percent — the smallest decline in Hillsborough County. Newsome's should drop by only 3 points to 96.4 percent under new federal guidelines from the Department of Education.

That's at the same time graduation rates at Armwood and Plant City high schools are expected to fall more than 20 percent. Riverview, Durant, Brandon and East Bay may see a drop of more than 10 percent, the Times reports.

"The countywide public high school graduation rate for 2011-2012 is projected to fall from 84.3 percent to 69.3 percent under the new guidelines," the Times article states.

Officials at Newsome told the Times there isn't a "magic pill or a magic class" to explain why the school is succeeding. Newsome had the top graduation rate in Hillsborough in 2010-11 and earned an A rating from the state for the fourth year in a row.

As Newsome principal Carla Bruning told the Times:

"The students at Newsome are highly motivated by their parents. They come early or stay late if they need tutoring. Here, high school is merely a stepping stone to what they plan on doing for the rest of their lives. I don't have any special programs; it's the parents. They really believe in having their kids in school and going to college. There's a college-going culture here."

Read more analysis in the Times' report and view the projected graduation rates for other area schools.