Danny Federico
reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) has officially released the district and school grades for the 2023-24 school year, and one of the tri-county school districts has once again emerged with the highest scores in the state.
The FLDOE unveiled the district and school grades for the 2023-24 academic year last week, showcasing outstanding achievements in several tri-county school districts. Among these, the Lafayette County School District emerged as a standout performer, once again earning the highest overall grade in the State of Florida.
Lafayette County School District
With 99 percent of its students being tested, the district earned 876 points compared to last year's 545, with improved achievement ratings in English Language Arts (63), Mathematics (71) and Science (71), and a single point reduction in Social Studies (73). In addition, the school district saw one of the highest graduation rates in the state at 95 percent. The district's stellar performance has allowed it to maintain its overall rating of A, which it has held since 2018.
Individually, Lafayette Elementary School's grade improved to A, breaking a two-year slump of B grades. It saw a single point reduction in English Language Arts (59) and increases in Mathematics (72) and Science (68), accumulating a total of 512 points. Meanwhile, Lafayette High School (LHS) saw increases in English Language Arts (65) and Science (73), and single point reductions in Mathematics (70) and Social Studies (73) for a total of 817 points. With its achievement, LHS managed to maintain its A grade, which it has held since 2018.
"We are extremely proud to be Florida's number one ranked school district again this year. Our instructional staff, students, and administrators have proven once again that they are the best in the state," said Superintendent Robby Edwards,
“A lot of work goes into providing high quality instruction each and every day, and the list is too long to thank everyone properly. I do want to especially thank Alissa Hingson, Pam Mosley and Cathy Palomino for promoting collective efficacy throughout this past year. The belief that each of us are capable and that everyone around us is capable of Congratulations to LES and LHS on both earning an 'A' this past year. Stewart Hancock and Paula Ginn are leading the state in middle school and high school acceleration. LHS also continues to lead the state in high school graduation rate.
Lisa Newman and Amy Kendrick have proven their leadership ability by increasing proficiency and learning gains, ensuring our students are receiving a solid educational foundation in the years that matter the most.
Our teachers and instructional staff are providing the best possible instruction every day. I wish more of our community could come and experience the great things going on in our classrooms. We truly have a great school system and I thank our community for the support they have given us."
Hamilton County School District
“Hamilton County is proud to announce our Hamilton County High School has achieved their highest accountability points in the school’s history,” said Superintendent Lee Wetherington-Zamora. “ Our Hamilton County Elementary School has achieved the highest percentage of accountability points since school consolidation. Our instructional teams, our students, and our administrative teams have shown what can be accomplished with focus and determination!”
For the fifth year in a row, the Hamilton County School District has maintained its overall C grade. With 99 percent of its students tested, the district accumulated a total of 595 points compared to last year's 311. This year, the district saw an improvement across the board in its achievements, including English Language Arts (37), Mathematics (39), Science (35) and Social Studies (47). Additionally, the district saw an increase in its graduation rates to 79 percent compared to the 75 percent reported for the 2021-22 school year.
Individually, Hamilton County Elementary School maintained its C grade, with improved achievements in English Language Arts (44), Mathematics (46) and Science (42), totaling 397 points. Similarly, Hamilton County High School maintained its C grade with improvements in English Language Arts (34), Mathematics (36), Science (32) and Social Studies (47), totaling 534 points. Mirroring the district's overall grade, the two schools have maintained their C grade since 2018.
Suwannee County School District
The Suwannee County School District has maintained its B grade since 2017. With 98 percent of its students tested, the district accumulated a total of 746 points, seeing improvements in the following achievements: English Language Arts (50), Mathematics (54), Science (61) and Social Studies (75). Additionally, the district saw a slight decrease in its graduation rate from 91 percent to 90 percent.
Suwannee Virtual School has maintained its C grade since 2019, with increases in English Language Arts (64), Mathematics (38), Science (45) and Social Studies (80), for a total of 436 points.
Branford Elementary School dropped to a C grade, seeing a two-point decrease in English Language Arts (52), a one-point decrease in Mathematics (60), and a 21-point decrease in Science (48) for a total of 426 points.
Pineview Elementary School maintained its B grade, seeing improved achievements in English Language Arts (50), Mathematics (54) and Science (62) for a total of 446 points.
Riverside Elementary School improved to a B grade, seeing an increase in English Language Arts (54), Mathematics (57) and Science (53) for a total of 439 points.
Springcrest Elementary School maintained its B grade, seeing a maintained achievement rate in English Language Arts (59), an improvement in Mathematics (69) and a six-point reduction in Science (68) for a total of 514 points.
Suwannee Middle School maintained its B grade, seeing improvements in English Language Arts (46) and Mathematics (54), and a seven-point reduction in both Science (61) and Social Studies (74) for a total of 533 points.
Branford High School improved to an A grade, seeing improvements in English Language Arts (59), Mathematics (57), Science (64) and Social Studies (79) for a total of 731 points.
Suwannee High School maintained its B grade, with improvements in English Language Arts (45), Mathematics (42), Science (69) and Social Studies (74), totaling 601 points.
To view the detailed reports available for each district and school, visit www.fldoe.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/.being successful is something they kept in the forefront. Believing is the first step. Believing, followed by action on the goals we have set is why we are seeing this success.”