CLAY COUNTY – By any measure, Clay County students continue to make the grade.

Not only did the Clay County District Schools receive its sixth consecutive “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), but it also improved on last year’s scores and continued to be among one of the top 10-performing districts in the state.

“I would just say that I'm so proud of all the hard work of our teachers and staff, students and parents for the excellent performance on state assessments,” Superintendent David Broskie said. “Clay County is a great place to live. It's a great place to work. And it's a great place for students to go to school.”

And he’s got the state’s scores to prove it.

According to the annual Florida School Accountability Reports released by the FLDOE Monday, Clay’s English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, Science and Social Studies scores improved by six points compared to last year.

Orange Park and R.M. Paterson elementary schools and Fleming Island High are among the Top 15 public schools, the FLDOE reported.

METRO CREATIONS

“That's a celebration. Clay County schools scored in the Top 10 in the state and all subject areas,” Broskie said. “We were third overall in social studies, first in seventh-grade civics and fourth in U.S. history out of all 67 counties, and we were seventh overall in science, with biology coming in seventh and eighth-grade science coming in ninth. And we came in 10th of the state for ELA, fourth in grades 9 through 10, and we went up every single grade level in ELA.”

While the state average of “A” grade schools was 44.2%, 24 of 43 schools in the district – 55.8% received “A” grades from the state. Another 16 earned “Bs,” while only three scored a “C.”

In all, 92.2% of Clay’s schools were graded at the “A” or “B” level.

The elementary schools that earned “A” grades were Orange Park, W.E. Cherry, Doctors Inlet, S.A. Bryan Jennings, Keystone Heights, Ridgeview, Argyle, Clay Hill, Lake Asbury, Robert M. Paterson, McRae, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Thunderbolt, Oakleaf Village, Shadowlawn and Spring Park.

The junior highs that made the grade were Green Cove Springs, Lakeside, Wilkerson and Lake Asbury, while Fleming Island and Oakleaf highs also earned an “A” grade, along with Clay Virtual Academy.

Students in Clay County are receiving a top 10-rated education, according to the Florida Department of Education.

CLAY TODAY ARCHIVES

Better yet, four – Middleburg, Keystone Heights, Clay Hill and Argyle elementary schools improved from a “C” to an “A.”

Argyle’s score jumped by 105 points, while Clay Hill’s improved by 86, and Charles E. Bennett Elementary saw a 68-point increase while getting a “B” grade.

Seven schools – Clay, Middleburg and Ridgeview highs and Tynes, Coppergate, Discovery Oaks and Plantation Oaks elementary schools – all dropped one grade. All, except Coppergate, which fell from a “B” to a “C,” went from an “A” to a “B.”

Broskie said there was more good news in the numbers.

“Orange Park Elementary was second in the state, and Paterson Elementary was 13th in total points and percentage of total points,” he said. “And if you look at Fleming Island High School, it was 16^th for all high schools in total points and average of total points that were public schools.”