Clarke County Schools Named District of Distinction

From Clarke County Schools

The Clarke County School District was named a 2014 Districts of Distinction honoree byDistrict Administration magazine in their November issue. The district was highlighted as one of only 49 districts selected nationally due to programming at Athens Community Career Academy.

“Through our partnership with Athens Technical College, we are very pleased to offer dual enrollment to our students, at no cost to them,” said Superintendent Philip D. Lanoue. “We also align and continuously refine the Athens Community Career Academy’s career pathways to the needs of our business community, so we are actively making a difference in Athens-Clarke County by training a qualified and highly educated workforce.”

The Career Academy opened in 2011, and enables Clarke County students to dually enroll in high school and college courses, fully funded by the school district. Athens Technical College faculty members teach the majority of classes, and students either enroll in career-specific or general academic courses. Courses transfer to any institution in the Technical College System of Georgia or University System of Georgia. The Athens Community Career Academy was recently named the top career academy in the state by Lt. Governor Casey Cagle.

The career academy has grown tremendously since its inception, with 372.5 credits earned in 2014, as compared to 84 in 2012. African-American students earned 191.1 credits in 2014, as compared to 13.5 in 2012.

“We are pleased to honor Clarke County School District as a District of Distinction,” said JD Solomon, editorial director at District Administration magazine. “Like all our honorees, the district serves as a model for school leaders across the country.”