SANTA ROSA AND OKALOOSA COUNTY IN TOP 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA

Congratulations to Santa Rosa and Okaloosa County School Districts for being tops in the State. This is just another reason why many are flocking to the area to take advantage of the job growth and quality of life this area has to offer.

Students shine in Santa Rosa
School district ranked No. 2 in state; Okaloosa sixth
By KATIE TAMMEN
Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4440 ktammen@nwfdailynews.com  
Santa Rosa County is the second best school district in the state, according to data released by the Florida Department of Education this week. The local school district earned the distinction after its students earned 576 out of a possible 800 points on the FCAT. The top school district in the state, St. Johns, earned 594 points. “There’s a lot of press right now about the standards getting tougher and there’s no doubt about that,” said Assistant Superintendent Bill Emerson. “The bottom line is that when you compare us in Florida, we do a really good job.” Emerson said he was not surprised by Santa Rosa County’s ranking because students and teachers historically have performed well despite changing standards. “I think that despite whatever rating system they come up with for schools, Santa Rosa is going to come out at the top,” Emerson said. The rankings were released as part of an effort to simplify school assessments for parents and the community, FDOE officials said. The FDOE used FCAT scores to establish the rankings in a more “userfriendly format” than previously was available on the department’s website, Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said in a video posted online with the data. The district data eventually will be available in more detailed categories with rankings for elementary, middle and high schools. FDOE officials are not sure when that data will be released. Okaloosa County also earned a statewide nod after it came in sixth overall with a score just four points behind Santa Rosa. Walton County was ranked 17th in the state. “Okaloosa County is very pleased and honored to be ranked in the top districts in this state,” Superintendent Alexis Tibbetts said, adding the rankings were a snapshot of a much bigger picture. She said it is important to consider the demographics of each district and its performance in areas other than the FCAT. Okaloosa County, for example, does not have as many English-as-a-Second-Language students, students with disabilities or minorities as some of the districts farther down in the rankings, she said. Okaloosa County has outperformed many schools in terms of high school dropout rates and accelerated coursework performance, Tibbetts said. “I think we all have to take into account multiple measures of success as well as demographics,” Tibbetts said. The top 30 school districts in the state all received A grades while the next 23 districts earned a B grade, 13 earned a C grade and one district earned a D grade.