Those in Polk County who are not involved with the Polk County School system may not realize how many people, especially those with school age children, move to the county specifically because of the school’s ranking, both in the state and the nation.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners recognized Saluda School and Polk County High School on Monday, Oct. 1 for recent federal and state recognition the schools have earned.
Saluda School was recently recognized as a Blue Ribbon School through a federal program that recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ levels of academic achievement. Saluda was one of only 269 schools in the entire nation to receive the designation. In past years, Tryon and Sunny View Elementary Schools have also received this recognition, among other honors.
North Carolina recently recognized Polk County High School for having a graduation rate of 89.7 percent, which puts it in the top 10 high schools in the state.
The list of awards for Polk’s schools goes on for pages, with each having been named high honor schools last year in end-of-grade testing by the state. The scores ranked Tryon Elementary, the Polk County Early College, Saluda and Sunny View Schools as Honor Schools of Excellence and the middle school, high school and Polk Central as Schools of Distinction in the state.
Polk County Board of Commissioners Chair Ray Gasperson said Saluda School’s earning the Blue Ribbon recognition is quite an achievement, as is the state recognition for the high school. In combination, he said, the honors prove that Polk County Schools are an economic engine for the county. Commissioners approved resolutions recognizing the schools and applauded them for their recent achievements.
Congratulations to Polk County Schools for their recent achievements.
— Editorial staff,
Tryon Daily Bulletin