Tallahassee, FL – Volusia County Schools is doing better as a district, according to the latest state rankings.
The Florida Department of Education gave the school district a “B” grade for the 2014-15 school year, bumping it up from a “C” the prior year.
VCS Superintendent Tom Russell says this shows the district is on the right track.
“This is a huge step in the right direction but we still have much work to do,” Russell added. “We are getting our academic and financial houses in order for the benefit of our students, employees and community.”
Volusia’s school district joins its neighbor in Flagler as a “B” district after being a “C” district since 2012.
The number of “A” schools in Volusia rose by 17% compared to the year before, according to the district. 67% of Volusia public schools were rated as “A” or “B”, a 12% jump compared to the 2013-14 school year.
School Board District 1 Representative Dr. John Hill – who was ripped by teachers at the last meeting over disparaging comments he made to them when the district walked away from contract negotiations with the Volusia Teachers Organization – gave credit to the district’s employees.
“It is certainly a pleasure to see that our school district is moving in the right direction,” Hill added. “This is due to the dedication of thousands of employees who work diligently on a daily basis to improve student achievement.”
In Flagler County Schools, every school came in as either an “A” or “B”, according to Superintendent Jacob Oliva.
“With the implementation of the Florida Standards and the instructional shifts that are required, for our students to have performed as well as they did is a true testament to the commitment of everybody in the organization,” Oliva added.
Belle Terre Elementary, Old Kings Elementary, Wadsworth Elementary, Indian Trails Middle and Matanzas High were all “A” schools while Bunnell Elementary, Rymfire Elementary, Buddy Taylor Middle and Flagler Palm Coast High were a “B”.
The district’s 2 charter schools – Palm Harbor Academy and Imagine School at Town Center – also got a “B” grade.
Copyright 2016 Southern Stone Communications.