The Florida Department of Education has released the 2022-23 school and district grades. Volusia County Schools maintained a district grade of B, with 54 percent of schools earning an A or B rating. There were no schools receiving a grade of D or F.
Overall, VCS grades for traditional schools are as follows: A, 17 schools; B, 20 schools; C, 29 schools; D and F, 0 schools; and I, two schools.
This is the first year that school and district grades were calculated using the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Progress Monitoring and Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (BEST) End-of-Course assessment results.
A school’s grade is calculated based on achievement in reading, math, science and social studies, as well as acceleration and graduation rates, according to guidelines provided by the Department of Education.
Any school grade that has been withheld by the state is designated as incomplete – I. A school grade could be withheld if less than 95 percent of the eligible students participated in testing.
Key highlights for Volusia County are that a total of 25 schools increased their school grade by one or more letter rankings from the 2021-22 to the 2022-23 school year. The number of A schools more than doubled, from seven schools earning an A in 2021-22 to 18 schools earning an A in 2022-23. The number of schools earning an A or B grade this year increased from 31 to 37 schools.
Coronado Beach Elementary in New Smyrna Beach received the highest score of all elementary schools in Central Florida and was the third-highest of all elementary schools in the entire state, receiving 93 percent of possible points.
Pride Elementary in Deltona improved two letter grades from a D to a B.
No elementary or middle school declined a letter grade from 2021-22 to 2022-23.
With the Standard Response Protocol, the term “evacuate” is used. Students have been trained to leave stuff behind if required to. If possible, they are to bring their phone and follow instructions.
Adults and staff are trained to bring roll sheets and go bags with them unless instructed not to, dependent on the reason for evacuation; to lead students to an evacuation location; and to account for students and adults and report injuries or problems using the red card/green card method.
Monday, Dec. 18, marked the end of the second grading period.
High-school football
DeLand High School was stopped by Venice High in the state playoffs, 51-21, eliminating the Bulldogs from the championship game. DeLand made it to the final four team games in the 4S Division.
Mainland High School in Daytona Beach won the 3S Division FHSAA State Championship with a 21-19 victory over St. Augustine. The Buccaneers finished the year with a 14-1 season, losing to Lake Mary in the last regular-season game, 33-0. The Mainland squad defeated DeLand, 43-31, in the first game of the season.
George Marks Elementary School
George Marks Elementary School in DeLand had a snowstorm of foam during their holiday-season party.
Sunrise Elementary School
Jose Maldonado, the head custodian at Sunrise Elementary School in Deltona, was honored by Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin, who presented him with the “Great People, Great Deeds Non-Instructional Staff Member Award.” His heroic actions saved a lost toddler at 6 a.m. The award is presented by Leonard’s Photography.
DeLand High School
During the last week of school before the Winter Holiday, DeLand High School had a Holiday Spirit Week. During the five days of the school week, the students had Holiday Sock Day, Holiday Pajama Day, Holiday Character Day, Ugly Holiday Sweater Day and Holiday Hat Day.
DeLand High has announced that Grad Bash 2024 will be 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, to 2 a.m. Sunday, April 21. The cost is $140, which includes early entrance to both parks and transportation. Ticket sales begin Monday, Jan. 29, and close Friday, Feb. 16.
University High School
University High School in Orange City is proud to announce that Volusia County’s October Rookie Teacher of the Month is Kailyn Douglas, who is the school’s biomed director.
DeLand High School Athletics
State Golf Championships, where the DeLand team finished fourth overall.
PHOTO COURTESY COACH DINA PINSON
For the first time in the history of sport at DeLand High School, the Lady Bulldogs golf team, under the direction of Dina Pinson, went to the FHSAA State Tournament, placing fourth overall. Those who played in the state tourney included seniors McKenzie Coody and Sydney Fosnow, juniors Evie Cohen and Josie Knight, and freshman Madison Dusenbury. Freshmen Kennedy Coody and Kate Calliotte are also on the team. McKenzie Coody was named the “Most Valuable Player,” as well as team captain, and Evie Cohen was named “Most Dedicated.”
left, of the Lady Bulldog golf team, who is joined by “Most Dedicated” player junior Evie Cohen, right. Between the
two is coach Dina Pinson. The team earned an at-large bid to state and made the most of it by placing fourth in the state tournament. Coody was in the top five for the tournament.
PHOTO COURTESY COACH DINA PINSON
It has also been noted that The Daytona Beach News-Journal has selected McKenzie Coody as one of the six All-Area finalists to be selected as the Player of the Year for Volusia and Flagler high-school sports. The award will be presented in the late spring. The News-Journal noted that Cohen, Dusenberry and Fosnow are players to be watched. Coach Pinson was selected as the “Top Coach” by The News-Journal.
The DeLand High girls weightlifting team has continued to pick up team victories, taking first in the Olympic Division over University and Seabreeze, and taking second in the Traditional Division, in which University claimed the victory and Seabreeze took third. Lady Bulldogs picking up firsts in the match were Katherin Rodriguez (2), Mattie Washington (2), Addison Ruocco, Katyah Ross (2), Hollee Brady and Nazaria Milfort, while seconds were earned by Charity Rank, Elena Cruz, Milfort and Brady. Those with thirds were Bayleigh Couch, Abby Schrier (2), Ruocco and Alexis Berriozabal.
The DeLand girls basketball team lost to Umatilla, 41-37, and defeated Lyman, 65-26.
The Bulldog basketball team defeated Mount Dora, 52-38, with freshman Joshua Washington scoring 13 points. The Bulldogs lost to Atlantic, 53-41, Deltona, 53-50, and Sanford, 72-43.
The Bulldog soccer team defeated Seabreeze, 2-0, and University, 3-1, and the Lady Bulldogs defeated Forest Lake, 2-1, with Yasmin Rios scoring the lone goal. They were then downed by Bellview, 6-0.
During the Winter Holiday, the DeLand boys basketball team will play host to the annual Holiday Tournament taking place in the Bulldog gym 3-9:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 28-30, with four games being played daily.
The Lady Bulldog basketball team will be competing in the Umatilla Christmas Tournament, which concludes today, Thursday, Dec. 21. At this writing, Umatilla is the only team to have defeated the Lady Bulldogs.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University Lady Hatters basketball team lost to Indiana, 72-34, with Jamiya Turner dropping in 11 points, while gathering six rebounds. The Lady Hatters also lost to Denver, 74-52, with Turner scoring 14 points and Quentarra Mitchell adding 10 points.
The Stetson men’s basketball team found all who played scoring against Johnson. The Hats won 123- 43. Jalen Blackmon scored 22 points, while Treyton Thompson dropped in 16 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Aubin Gateretse scored 14 points, Cyncier Harrison made 11 points, and Alec Oglesby added 10.
The Hats lost to Charlotte, 85-62, with Blackmon scoring 28 points. They lost to Chicago State, 77-54, with Blackmon getting 17 points and Gateretse scoring 12 points.
The Hatter teams take off until the men play host to Charlotte at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, followed the next day by the women hosting Flagler at 2 p.m.
College honors
Katarina Blazetic, of DeLand, garnished another award, as she was one of four Baldwin Wallace University women’s volleyball student-athletes to be named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All- District Team.
Blazetic carries a 3.889 grade-point average in business administration. This season, she appeared in all 25 matches and 85 sets. She was second on the team with a career-high 327 assists, averaging 3.85 assists per set. She also tallied a career-high 117 digs and was second on the team with 28 service aces. She also added a career-high 13 kills.
In her career, Blazetic has a total of 335 assists, 141 digs, 34 aces and 13 kills. Off the court, she is an Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree and a dean’s list student.
Nathan Schwerdfeger, of DeLand, has earned a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
Ariel Butler, of DeLand, has earned a Master of Science from the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.
Samuel Melendez, of Orange City, has graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Ministry Leadership, Counseling, from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@ hotmail.com.
