It’s official: the students of George County School District have made history. For the first time ever, we have been ranked as an “A” school district in addition to the high school being an “A” school.

   “A huge part of our new ranking is thanks to the combined efforts of all of our teachers and students,” Superintendent Wade Whitney said. 

   District rankings largely depend on the overall performance of its schools, while school rankings are primarily based on attendance and student graduation.

   The high school is ranked on a system of up to 1000 points, broken down into categories such as ACT scores, state testing, and CTE classes.

   The elementary schools use a system of 600 points primarily based on state testing scores.

   “The high school needs a 754 in order to be classified as an A-rank,” GCHS Principal Sid Taylor said. 

   There were also notable schools that gained an A-rank including L.T. Taylor, Central, and L.C. Hatcher elementary schools along with GCHS. 

   “The high school has done its best, and it shows in our new rank,” Taylor said.

   A few notable improvements are Benndale’s increase from an “F” to a “B” and LC Hatcher’s increase from an “F” to an “A”. The only school that did not show improvement was Agricola Elementary.

   “We have created a system where we can see specifically where students need to improve and how each school affects each other,” Whitney said.

   As a whole, the George County School District has improved from its 2019 assessments and is choosing to pursue even greater heights.

   “I think it’s important for us to not rest on our laurels; there is a difference between being pleased and being satisfied, and we as a school district can never be satisfied,” Whitney said.