Teachers with St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools report back next week for fulltime work in advance of the students’ arrival Aug. 8.

Plenty of positives will greet students and teachers in the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District, which enters the 2016-17 academic year with near unprecedented success.

The District sports a letter grade of B based on the most recent Louisiana Department of Education accountability rankings.

It is the first time the District earned the B grade, school officials said, scoring an 85.2 as its District Performance Score. It is an improvement over the previous year’s score of 83.1, a C.

District-wide, there are a number of enhancements students and community members can look forward to, Superintendent Kevin George said.

A multi-year, multi-million dollar grant has allowed the District to open health clinics on the campuses of West St. John Elementary, East St. John High and LaPlace Elementary.

“The (School) Board is doing everything it can to provide crucial services to all students,” George said, adding new synthetic sports fields have also been added at East St. John High and West St. John High.

School leaders said the fields withstand the negative impact of rain better than grass fields and offer options to recreational departments seeking locations to play.

“We’re going to be instituting a recycling program in all of our schools, along with a new contract just awarded with Pelican Waste,” George said. “Our students and our faculty will be educated on the proper ways to recycle and how to actually help the environment. We’re doing our part here in St. John to make sure that we are producing productive citizens.”

Recently received grants include a Principal Support Grant through the Louisiana Department of Education to support teaching and learning in local schools and one from Multiple Teaching Solutions to provide student academic and enrichment activities.

“We are doing everything that we can to make sure every one of our children have access to a quality education,” George said.

“We’re going beyond just the money we receive from MFP. We’re also seeking additional dollars to make sure all of our children are served.”

Success

The District’s recent achievements were accomplished through group and individual performances.

Karen Dottolo was recognized as the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District Teacher of the Year, while also being named a semi-finalist for Louisiana Teacher of the Year — the third straight year the District received such an honor.

Principal Chantell Walker was also named a semi-finalist for Louisiana Principal of the Year. Walker, the District Elementary School Principal of the Year, served as principal at West St. John Elementary School in Edgard.

She was recognized in her second year leading the school. She was previously an assistant principal at West St. John High School.

The District features two A-rated schools. West St. John High improved its School Performance Score more than seven points to a 106 to join John L. Ory Communications Magnet School in the A category, a distinction it has maintained for four consecutive years.

Two schools showed double-digit growth.

West St. John Elementary School grew 16.6 points, while Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School improved 15 points.

“This just goes to show that our district is moving forward,” School Board President Keith Jones said when the scores were released.

“Kudos to our superintendent, his district staff, our principals, teachers, support staff and everyone who had a hand in this because it is a team effort. Our students are learning and growing, and we are moving in the right direction.”

District Performance Scores are based on student achievement on annual assessments, academic indicators and measures of career and college readiness, such as Carnegie credits earned through 9th grade, graduation rates and earning Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Dual Enrollment.

It is the 10th consecutive year of growth for the district, school officials stressed, despite the state’s instituting of the more difficult Common Core State Standards and the more rigorous Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers tests.