218 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 10 security for the event with students in the public safety pathway, or showing school spirit from the sidelines in the student section. “That also transcends to other sports,” she conveys. “We have high numbers of our students who are plugged in and engaged in a lot of different activities on our high school campus. We take pride in the relationships that we’re building. We know that it’s important that students not just have teachers that are supporting them, but also coaches and community mentors.” Calhoun City Schools is committed to preparing its students for future success. Nearly 1,000 students at Calhoun High School are actively involved in career and technical student organizations, such as FBLA, Skills USA, and TSA. In the past year, 112 students participated in work-based learning, collectively contributing nearly 28,000 hours, and earning over $145,000. “We have a thriving and large work-based learning program,” Dr. Hayes boasts. “We try to encourage the students if at all possible to do their internships related to their career areas. We find that’s a good way to help them decide and determine what they want to do in the future.” The district also triumphs in both dual enrollment and advanced placement (AP) programs. “We had 225 students that earned dual credit last year with over 2000 college credit hours earned. We try to provide both of those. Some high schools promote one strongly over the other, but we feel like we can offer both and provide great options for those students seeking either the dual enrollment or the AP opportunity,” adds Dr. Taylor. Community Partnerships Robust partnerships with local employers, including Mohawk Industries, a flooring manufacturer, and AdventHealth Gordon, play a crucial role in supporting students and providing future opportunities, while also addressing workforce needs in the community. Dr. Taylor highlights their partnership with AdventHealth is also a priority, and Dr. Taylor believes this is one of the reasons for the 100% graduation rate the district has been experiencing. She describes a typical Friday evening football game, where a large percentage of the student body is participating as players, cheerleaders, performing in the band, working the jumbotron as part of the video / broadcast team, providing
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