SCHOOL BOARD
Suwannee County School Board
By Amy Yarick
Committed to ensuring all students are educated in a safe and supportive learning environment , the Suwannee County School district is a system of excellence focused on promoting personal growth in all of the students it serves . With proven academic achievement , a high graduation rate , high-impact teachers , a variety of extra-curricular activities and athletics , summer programs , adult education opportunities and much more , the schools in Suwannee County schools aim to produce productive citizens and lifelong learners .
The 2020-2021 school year was an especially monumental school year , as the previously separate schools were reconfigured and transformed into three different PreK – 5 Elementary schools . Not only are there now three schools for parents to choose to send their children to , but these three schools was created with their own unique themes . Suwannee Pineview Elementary School was classified as the “ School of Innovation ”, specializing in technology , engineering , and robotics . Suwannee Springcrest Elementary – the “ School of Leadership ” now specializes in leadership and career exploration . The third school , Suwannee Riverside Elementary – the “ School of the Arts ” specializes in chorus , band , art , theater , and dance .
The response to the reconfiguration was extremely positive . Parents , who in the past , had to drive their children to two or three separate schools , could now simply go to one school . The unique theme of each school allows children to be placed in a school that most fits their interests , while still receiving high-quality instruction in the core subjects of reading , writing , math , science , and social studies .
Beyond the three Elementary schools , Suwannee County is also home to Suwannee Middle School , Branford High School , and Suwannee High School , which has proudly been a “ B ” school for the last four out of five years . In addition to their high-test scores , Suwannee High School , along with Branford High School , have a combined graduation rate of 90 %, which is well above the state average . With a consistent increase in academic gains in all subject areas , the Suwannee County School district has been a “ B ” district for three years in a row .
Not only was this school year monumental because of the reconfiguration , but also because of the tremendous effort put forth by our superintendent to ensure students were given a chance at a traditional education , amidst the ongoing pandemic . Superintendent , Ted Roush , was committed to resuming the 2020-2021 school year with as much normalcy as possible , along with increased safety protocols . “ Life for students , families , community , and the school district must move forward , as the education of our citizens of tomorrow is of paramount importance in our ability for us to thrive as a community ,” the district said .
As a result of this commitment to normalcy , Suwannee County was one of the only counties state-wide to hold a traditional graduation ceremony for its 2020 graduating class . When making graduation plans , board member Tim Alcorn stated , “ They ’ ve worked their butts off for 13 years , I want them to have that opportunity .”
The teachers who work in the many different schools of Suwannee county are knowledgeable , highly qualified , and most importantly , passionate about their jobs . They not only love kids , but they love to teach . Along with a college degree and certification tests , public education teachers are required to have a set number of professional development hours each year . These teachers are evaluated , on an annual basis , to monitor their performance , and their pay is partially based on these evaluations . The success of Suwannee County School District is a direct effect of the hard work that is put into being an educator and the qualities these teachers possess .
Each school in the district offers a variety of extracurricular activities and programs to help students learn skills and meet goals , above and beyond their academic skills and goals . Extracurricular activities , like athletics , have proven to benefit children in large ways , including teaching patience , determination , cooperation , respect , self-esteem , and resilience . All of these valuable psychological and social benefits contribute to higher academic success . Both Branford High School and Suwannee High School offer students a large variety of sports including baseball , basketball , volleyball , cheerleading , softball , track and field , swimming , soccer , weightlifting , golf , cross country , and of course , football . All student athletes not only work hard to be the best at their individual sports , but are also expected to maintain a 2.0 GPA to be eligible to participate in their activities .
2020 was a big year for Suwannee Athletics as they had
82 SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT | 2021-2022