Hill City Elementary School Receives National Recognition
On November 14, 2006 from New York, Standard and Poor’s School Evaluation Services identified 96 Georgia schools that have significantly narrowed the achievement gap between higher – and lower – performing student groups during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years. Hill City Elementary School received national recognition for narrowing the achievement gap between socioeconomic disadvantaged students and non-disadvantaged students while raising achievement scores in math and reading for all students. Hill City Elementary is one of 718 schools across the United States that received this recognition.

Thomas Sheridan, vice president of Standard & Poor’s School Evaluation Services, stated; “Schools with achievement gap reductions that meet this study’s criteria are rare. This analysis shows that there are a number of schools that have made outstanding progress whose accomplishments stand out as both difficult and desirable to achieve. These schools are recognized here in the hopes that they may serve as benchmarks and sources of promising practices for educators. Their success should be commended, and their practices should be more closely examined to illuminate the strategies that can be implemented by educators in other parts of Georgia who are working hard to raise the performance of all students.”

Opening fall of 2002, Hill City Elementary School has achieved the following recognitions:

Dr. Carlton Wilson, Hill City’s Principal, explained the reason’s for success; “I believe that we have the greatest teachers and staff of any school in the state. They take student success personally and really care about children. We encourage parental involvement in the school and without their help we could not achieve the level of success we currently enjoy. We value being a community school with community input. We have great students and they love learning. I am very proud of Hill City and honored to be its principal. Our goal, since we opened, is to become one of the premier elementary schools in Georgia.”

Pickens County Middle School (PCMS) football team had a successful 4-2 season. The PCMS dragons played and won their first ever home game played on the PCMS campus against Union County Middle School Panthers. The PCMS dragons also won the annual Patriots' Bowl game against arch rival Jasper Middle School. Congratulations to coaches Tony Weaver, Corey Thompson, and Nathan Wade for their coaching efforts!

Pickens County Middle School (PCMS) was recognized for having “exemplary attendance” for the 2005-2006 school year. In order to qualify for this highest level of attendance recognition, PCMS had to maintain school attendance of less than 5 percent of the student population missing 15 or more days of school for the entire school year.