As the season changes and the weather begins to cool, Walton County School District continues to “heat up” the world of education. Each year, the U.S. News and World Report gathers data on all high schools in the United States for the Best U.S. High Schools report. Their most recent release, the 2023-2024 Best U.S. High Schools, ranked nearly 25,000 schools across the U.S. based on six areas of evaluation and ALL of Walton County’s traditional high schools made the list! The Walton County School District’s high schools rank among the top 16% of all high schools in the United States!
The U.S. News and World Report calculates its rankings based on six key areas of achievement: College Readiness, State Assessment Proficiency, State Assessment Performance, Underserved Student Performance, College Curriculum Breadth, and Graduation Rate. These areas are individually weighted, with College Readiness and State Assessment Proficiency comprising 50% of the overall score. These scores indicate that Walton County students are highly prepared to take the next step in their life journey when they graduate.
This achievement illustrates what has become known as “The Walton County Way” which can be summarized as E.P.I.C. – Excellence, Professionalism, Innovation, and Collaboration. Superintendent A. Russell Hughes had this to say after the release of the rankings, “I couldn’t be more proud of the continued hard work, dedication, and resulting success of our students, parents, staff, and our community. These rankings are a great indicator of the EPIC work being done for students and by students in Walton County. Congratulations to all for winning one!”
In the Walton County School District, we understand that a world-class education is the key to lifelong success, but the safety and well-being of our students while they learn is the number one priority ensuring we are able to deliver this goal. Our District nurses participated in CPR Instructor training through the American Heart Association prior to the opening of the 2023-24 school year. This training prepared our nurses for facilitating hands-on CPR, AED, and First Aid skills training with staff at every school. Special thanks to Lina Caulson at CPR and Company for providing the training as a locally aligned AHA trainer and helping us maintain excellent nursing staff for our students.
Walton County School District prides itself on the familial atmosphere among schools in our county. In the spirit of collaboration, Freeport QUEST students gathered at Freeport Elementary on Monday for the dedication of the agamograph created by students from Freeport Elementary, Middle, and High School. An agamograph is a clever 3D multi-image mural form of art that uses optical illusion to create artwork that changes when you look at it from different angles. The QUEST students created a set of images showing the unity of Freeport schools. Students explained the meaning behind the agamograph images and how proud they were to show their community spirit and leave behind a long-lasting piece of art for their school, future students and community. Special thanks to Amanda Adams of Sherwin Williams for providing the paint, Sandie Taunton, Maia Meredith, and Brookelyn Bolin from DAG Architects for consulting on the design as well as Jill Smith (Director of Facilities).
Our community partners are an integral part of maintaining excellence for our students. Walton County School District is blessed to collaborate with wonderful volunteers who give their time and talents to the students of our District. On Tuesday, September 5, Superintendent A. Russell Hughes and the Walton County School Board recognized our 2022-2023 State Outstanding School Volunteer Award winners for their service to the students of our district: Ms. Hannah Kent gives her service to Maude Saunders Elementary School, Mrs. Donna Jackson unselfishly provides a helping hand at Freeport Elementary School and Mr. Don Sandt has given over 15 years to the student of Van R. Butler Elementary! Thank you to these volunteers and the many others who give so much to our students!
As summer turns into fall, we all look forward to our sports season! Football is alive and well in Walton County and the cheers of sports fans resound over loudspeakers every Friday night at most campuses. Freeport High School and South Walton High School are observing spirit week September 25- 29, 2023 culminating in their homecoming football battles on Friday, September 19, 2023. Each high school will dismiss early on Friday to celebrate in grand style with traditional homecoming parades. If you’re in the area, stop through and support each school, bag a little candy, and enjoy the festivities!
Keep in mind that Walton County School District wants to hear from you! You may always reach out and ask questions through the Let’s Talk platform. This community digital tool automatically delivers your text questions to the appropriate personnel for a speedy reply. Text (850) 204-9667 or click “contact us” on the WCSD webpage.
Author: Sowal Editor
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