The Wolf Pack family is celebrating the recent news that Samuel Wolfson School for Advanced Studies has earned top public high school ranking for Duval County and North Florida and sixth in the state of Florida, according to Wolfson Principal Christopher Begley. The news, shared last month, was coupled with the announcement that Duval County Public Schools has earned an A for the first time in district history.
The Florida Department of Education released its annual Florida School Grades report, reflecting Wolfson’s earned 852 points – the highest score for public high schools in Duval County and the Northeast Florida region.
DCPS District 3 Board Member Cindy Pearson, a Wolfson alumna herself and parent of two Wolfson graduates and a Wolfson senior, congratulated the Wolfson faculty, staff and students.
“I know firsthand how hard the students, faculty and community have worked to develop a program where academic rigor and student life are emphasized,” Pearson said.
Dr. Allison Cato Jackson, mother of two Wolfson students, echoed Pearson’s sentiments.
“…[Wolfson] is a vibrant school where students lead, create and grow,” Cato said. “The pride Wolfson students and families feel was already evident and in no doubt contributory.”
Erin Lewis is president of the Wolfson Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), with a rising senior and junior.
“I know that the ranking is based on test scores, but if you go to the school and you walk the halls and you go to the football games, it’s more than just the school grade,” Lewis said. “It’s the whole atmosphere, the whole picture.”
Samuel Wolfson School for Advanced Studies Principal Christopher Begley joined in the congratulations.
“In eight short years of transitioning from a neighborhood school to a dedicated magnet for gifted and advanced students, Wolfson has become the number one school in the district, number one in North Florida and number six in the state,” Begley continued. “This only happens when all stakeholders buy into team success. To quote Rudyard Kipling, ‘The strength of the wolf is the PACK.’ [sic] At Wolfson, we foster that philosophy in all that we do.”
Pearson added Wolfson’s achievement reflects a larger trend in her district, with Julia Landon College Preparatory School maintaining its top ranking as a Duval County middle school and Holiday Hill Elementary and Sandalwood High School
both earning A grades. Meanwhile, Englewood High School, San Jose Elementary
and Southside Estates Elementary all improved to B school grades.
