SEBASTIAN — It cost the school a laborious appeal process, but Sebastian River High School has proudly won back its A rating to regain its place among the state’s best high schools.
The school successfully appealed its downgrade from an A-ranked school to a B for the 2012-2013 school year, as the state Department of Education agreed some crucial data had been overlooked in its report.
The DOE decision resulted in SRHS earning back-to-back A ratings (for school years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013) and qualifying for $186,000 in “school recognition” funds, which it should receive sometime this spring.
SRHS Principal Todd Racine said the ranking process is “extremely confusing,” as each high school is graded in 16 categories.
“We believed we earned an A, because the DOE omitted some of our student data” provided by the Indian River County School District based on statistics from each school’s database.
The original B grade came out Dec.18, Racine said.
After studying the state’s report, school officials realized crucial figures on SRHS’s “participation and performance in accelerated curricula” had indeed been overlooked.
“That’s why they have the appeal process,” Racine said. “We submitted our appeal in January and resubmitted the data. They responded March 6. We appreciate that the state was willing to work with us to get the grade corrected.”
As stated in the letter from the DOE, “As a result of the recalculation, the school’s preliminary grade of B has been changed to A, while the overall school grade points earned have increased from 1,013 points to 1,062 points.”
A minimum of 1,050 points or above are needed to earn an A designation.
“As a school, we are elated to have our grade recalculated. The A grade designates the highest ranking schools and reflects a lot of hard work from our students, parents and staff, and it is wonderful recognition for the school and the community,” said Racine.
Indian River County School Superintendent Dr. Fran Adams said, “I am happy that the Department of Education agreed with our supposition that Sebastian River High School is an ‘A’ school and thrilled for everyone at Sebastian River High School. I know how hard they work and they are an ‘A’ school.”
