Jefferson County K-12 School earns B grade from state education department

Jefferson County K-12 School made history in 2023 by earning a C from the Florida Department of Education for its school grade, after years of struggling with its academic performance.

This year, the school made history again, with a B for its 2024 school grade.

The district received a C grade overall. The school was previously categorized as an 'I,' or incomplete, for missing the state's threshold testing 95% of students on state assessments. The B grade was released by the DOE on Tuesday.

"This accomplishment reflects the strong commitment to education and the bright future that lies ahead for all students. Keep up the outstanding work, and may this success be the foundation for even greater achievements," Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Eydie Tricquet said Tuesday.

Tricquet referred to the improvement as "restoring the roar" in the county's public education system – its mascot, the Tigers – as the school once again becomes a community hub for academic excellence.

State took over Jefferson County schools in 2017

The school was originally taken over by the state in 2017 after years of poor academic performance and financial troubles. Former Leon County Schools Superintendent Jackie Pons joined in 2022 as the school principal and aggressively recruited new teachers, whom he credits with turning around the school in 2023.

"What helped us accomplish this was the great team of teachers and support staff that we put together, it always comes down to having great teachers in the classroom," Pons told the Tallahassee Democrat. "We always say in education that all children can learn, and I challenged our team on that."

The school district was placed under Somerset Academy Inc., a charter academy tasked with turning the school around for five years. It never did, so the school was returned to the local community under one condition: It needed to earn a C. Under Pons, it did.

"For the last 20 years, Jefferson County Schools has been under so much adversity. This is a great day for Jefferson, considering all they've been through," Pons said. "This is so important for the community."

With its latest accomplishment, Pons said he will continue to root for the school's success, but not as its principal. His contract as principal was not renewed in June, months after he announced his bid for the superintendent seat against Tricquet, his boss.

Marlon Ball , a 20-year veteran in education with experience in Florida and most recently in Lexington, Kentucky, as a high school principal, will be taking helm at the school for the 2024-25 school year.

"I'm always going to be a Tiger, and I just want them to finish the work and keep that strong team," Pons said.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly characterized how long Jefferson County K-12 School has recieved D and F grades,

Back story: How Jefferson County schools turned it around, escaped state control

Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com . Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3 .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Jefferson County K-12 School earns B grade from state education department