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Floyd County Schools is proud to announce exceptional student performance on the recently released Advanced Placement (AP) exam results. Demonstrating a rigorous commitment to academic excellence, Floyd County students achieved college-qualifying scores on nearly 70% of all exams taken.

Out of 550 AP students enrolled across the district, an impressive 69% of all exams taken earned a score of 3, 4, or 5—the threshold typically required to secure college credit at most colleges and universities. 

Adding to this milestone, 215 students achieved prestigious AP Scholar designations, highlighting their consistent, high-level performance across multiple exams.

AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with a score of 3 or higher indicating readiness for college‑level coursework. By earning college‑credit‑eligible scores on 69% of exams, Floyd County students have collectively saved thousands of dollars in future tuition costs while gaining a strong head start on postsecondary success.

The College Board recognizes several tiers of academic distinction based on students' performance on AP Exams. The 215 scholar achievements across Floyd County Schools include:

• 128 AP Scholars: Awarded to students who received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.
• 28 AP Scholars with Honor: Awarded to students who earned an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
• 50 AP Scholars with Distinction: Awarded to students who earned an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

In addition to individual subject honors, Floyd County students excelled in the prestigious AP Capstone program, an innovative diploma program focusing on college-level research, analysis, and collaboration:

• 26 AP Capstone Diplomas: Awarded to students who earned scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research, as well as on four additional AP Exams of their choosing.
• 36 AP Seminar and Research Certificates: Awarded to students who earned scores of 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research.

In total, Floyd County students completed 1,032 exams this year.

“These results are a testament to the hard work of our students and the dedication of our educators at all levels,” said FCS Superintendent Dr. Glenn White. “Seeing 69% of our students earn college credit shows that our schools are preparing students for the next level from Pre-K to 12th grade. We could not be prouder of our 215 AP Scholars and the entire AP student body.”

Floyd County Schools remains committed to expanding access to rigorous AP coursework and strengthening student preparation efforts—ensuring every graduate is equipped for success beyond high school.

About Floyd County Schools

The Floyd County School System (FloydBOE.net) is dedicated to providing exceptional educational opportunities that promote academic excellence for all students. Floyd County educators combine a strong focus on core academics with innovative teaching methods to create a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

Floyd County Schools offer comprehensive academic programs designed to prepare students for success in college, technical education, and a wide range of post-secondary pathways. Guided by its mission to foster productive citizens, the district is built on the cornerstones of integrity, community, accountability, and trust.

Located in Rome, Georgia, the Floyd County School System proudly serves 16 schools across the district.

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Pepperell High School (PHS) has announced the hiring of Cody Sauls as the new Head Baseball Coach for the 2026-2027 school year. In addition to his coaching duties, Sauls will join the PHS Special Education Department.

Sauls takes over for Coach Chad Brown, who resigned in June after a great career with the Dragons. Brown led the program to a 154-69 record, securing four region championships and a state runner-up finish in 2025. PHS and FCS thank Coach Brown and his family for their impact on the Lindale community and wish them the best in their next chapter. 

Sauls, a graduate of Villa Rica High School and the University of West Georgia, brings seven years of teaching experience to the Dragons. He most recently served as an assistant coach at South Paulding High School and currently coaches with the USA Prime National Detroit Tigers Scout team.

"I’m excited to continue the traditions of the Pepperell community and build on the past success of the baseball program," said Sauls. "My family and I are excited to join the Pepperell community! Go Dragons."

Looking ahead to the 2027 season, PHS alumni Dakota Corntassel and Will York will return to the baseball staff as assistant coaches: 

• Dakota Corntassel (Class of '22): A recent Shorter University graduate and former collegiate player, Corntassel will join the PHS Math Department this fall. He also serves as the pitching coach for the 6-4-3 17U Jaguars.
• Will York (Class of '24): Currently attending Shorter University, York returns after serving as a community coach for the Dragons' Junior Varsity program last season.

The Pepperell Dugout Club will host a public meet-and-greet with the new coaching staff tomorrow, Tuesday, July 7, at 6:30 PM in the PHS Media Center. All community members, students, and families are invited to attend.

About Floyd County Schools

The Floyd County School System (FloydBOE.net) is dedicated to providing exceptional educational opportunities that promote academic excellence for all students. Floyd County educators combine a strong focus on core academics with innovative teaching methods to create a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

Floyd County Schools offers comprehensive academic programs designed to prepare students for success in college, technical education, and a wide range of post-secondary pathways. Guided by its mission to foster productive citizens, the district is built on the cornerstones of integrity, community, accountability, and trust.

Located in Rome, Georgia, the Floyd County School System proudly serves 16 schools across the district.

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ROME, Ga. — Floyd County Schools wants to set the record straight. A June 17, 2026, story in Coosa Valley News made it sound like the school district is raising taxes on local homeowners. That is not true; instead, the opposite is true.

At its June 8, 2026, meeting, the Floyd County Board of Education announced its plans to lower its tax rate. The new rate, called the millage rate, would be 16.75 mills. (A mill is simply the unit used to set property tax rates.) That would be the lowest rate the school district has set since 2001.

The Board of Education Is Lowering the Tax Rate

The Floyd County Board of Education controls one thing about your taxes: the millage rate. This is the rate used to figure out your school property taxes. This year, the Board is lowering that rate. It is the one factor the Board of Education can control — and it is bringing it down.

Georgia also uses a special number called the rollback rate. It is the rate that would bring in about the same amount of money as last year. For this year, that number is 16.818 mills. The Board’s plan of 16.75 mills is below that number. Under Georgia law, setting the rate below the rollback rate is not a tax increase.
Why You May Have Seen a Bigger Number in the News

The Coosa Valley News story focused on about $1.25 million in extra money. Here is what that number really means. It does not come from a higher tax rate. This money comes from growth in the county. New homes and new buildings were added, and some property values went up. When the county grows, the total amount of money collected can rise even when the millage tax rate goes down. The Board of Education does not decide what your property is worth. It only sets the millage rate — and it is lowering the millage rate.

The Truth About the District’s Savings

The news story made it sound like the school district is piling up cash. The opposite is true. This year, the school district plans to spend some of its savings. As a result, the savings will drop from $41.6 million to about $33.2 million. That is a planned drop of about $8.4 million.

Why keep savings at all? Maintaining a healthy fund balance is sound, recommended stewardship. Savings lets the school district pay its bills each month without borrowing money. Floyd County Schools’ reserve allows the school district to meet payroll and monthly obligations without resorting to tax anticipation notes — short-term loans that would saddle taxpayers with interest costs. Savings also help the school district handle emergencies. Experts who study government budgets — the Government Finance Officers Association — recommend keeping at least two months’ worth of expenses in savings. 

Putting the Money to Work for Students

Instead of borrowing or raising the rate, the school district is using its savings to pay for real improvements that students will use, such as:

• A multipurpose building at Model High School;

• A new field house at Pepperell High School;

• More classroom space to allow for even more opportunities at the College and Career Academy; and

• New artificial turf at each high school for baseball and softball.

The school district is also adding instructional coaches and specialists in reading and math for the 2026–2027 school year. These staff members help students keep learning and growing for the betterment of the community and the students we serve.
Where to Get the Real Facts

The Floyd County School District wants families and community members to have correct information. The best places to find correct and accurate information are the school board’s posted meeting minutes, the school district’s budget, and the public meetings about the tax rate. Everyone is always welcome to attend our Board meetings. You may find official updates at: floydboe.net. Additionally, we share all official press releases and verified information with the Rome News-Tribune, the official media partner of Floyd County Schools (FCS). Because their reporting team attends our board meetings and community events firsthand, they provide an accurate, reliable secondary source for district news and updates.

“Floyd County Schools is proud to soon be setting the lowest tax rate for our community since 2001 while still investing in our students and schools. We plan carefully, we spend wisely, and we want our families to have the facts.”
 

— Dr. Glenn White, Superintendent, Floyd County Schools

The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) has officially released its annual "Beating the Odds" (BTO) analysis, highlighting ten standout public schools within the Floyd County Schools system that have outperformed statistical academic expectations.

The Beating the Odds designation is a statistical analysis that evaluates a school's actual College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score against a predicted model. This model takes into account multiple external factors outside of a school's direct control to ensure performance is measured within a fair and accurate context.

The ten Floyd County schools honored with this distinction are:

• Alto Park Elementary School
• Armuchee High School
• Armuchee Primary School
• Coosa High School
• Garden Lakes Elementary School
• Johnson Elementary School
• Model Elementary School
• Model High School
• Pepperell High School
• Pepperell Primary School

Understanding the "Beating the Odds" Metric

Calculated annually by GOSA following the release of the Georgia Department of Education’s CCRPI scores, the BTO analysis serves as a crucial complementary tool for accountability contracts between local school districts and the State Board of Education.

Rather than evaluating schools on raw achievement outcomes alone, the BTO evaluation utilizes a rigorous four-step statistical regression model:

1. Factor Assessment: The model calculates how much individual external student and school characteristics relate to CCRPI scores across all Georgia schools on average.
2. Score Prediction: A unique, predicted CCRPI score is generated for each school based purely on these demographic estimates.
3. Accounting for Margin of Error: To account for unmeasured factors, GOSA establishes a confidence interval range using the predicted score plus or minus half the standard deviation of the forecast.
4. Final Determination: To successfully "Beat the Odds," a school’s actual CCRPI score must rise entirely above the model's top confidence interval. This gives statistical confidence that the school's performance is demonstrably higher than predicted.

"BTO results offer necessary, localized context to school tracking," GOSA noted in the release statement. "While a school beating the odds does not inherently mean there are no remaining performance gaps, it explicitly indicates that these educators, students, and communities are overcoming external challenges and outperforming state predictions." Because the BTO model relies strictly on factors outside of a school’s control, the best pathway for any school to sustain or achieve this designation is through a continued, focused effort to increase its foundational CCRPI score.

Full data sets, calculation guides, and the complete list of statewide school designations are available publicly on the official GOSA Beating the Odds Website.

Armuchee High School (AHS) is proud to announce the appointment of Matt Wiley as its new Assistant Principal. 

Wiley joins the Tribes leadership team with an extensive 14-year background in classroom instruction, athletic coaching, and school leadership within North Georgia. 

Wiley comes to Armuchee High School from Ashworth Middle School, where he has served as a Computer Science teacher and Gifted Lead Teacher. Throughout his career, Wiley has demonstrated a deep commitment to systemic academic improvement and leadership development, currently completing his Tier 1 Leadership Certification and participating in the prestigious Aspiring Leaders Cohort II. His state-level educational involvement includes serving as a GaLEADS/ELEVATE Teacher Observer for the State of Georgia Department of Education. 

In addition to his classroom and state-level leadership, Wiley brings invaluable experience in student support and school operations. He previously served as the 504 Coordinator, where he successfully managed student accommodation compliance and collaborated with families and faculty to ensure equitable learning environments. 

Wiley also brings a rich history of building school spirit and community engagement. He has a decade of high school classroom experience teaching a wide range of rigorous sciences, including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and AP Environmental Science. 

A dedicated mentor outside the classroom, Wiley was named the 2022 7AA Coach of the Year and has led student-athletes to multiple region championships in soccer and individual accolades for wrestlers. 

In his new role, Wiley will work alongside Principal Joseph Pethel to support instructional leadership, manage all student affairs, and leverage his background as a certified Instructional Technology Specialist. 

"I’m grateful and excited to be joining the wonderful faculty and staff at Armuchee High School," said Wiley. "Thank you to Mr. Pethel for the opportunity to be part of an incredible school and community. I look forward to meeting all the students and staff this fall. We > Me."

About Floyd County Schools

The Floyd County School System (FloydBOE.net) is dedicated to providing exceptional educational opportunities that promote academic excellence for all students. Floyd County educators combine a strong focus on core academics with innovative teaching methods to create a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

Floyd County Schools offer comprehensive academic programs designed to prepare students for success in college, technical education, and a wide range of post-secondary pathways. Guided by its mission to foster productive citizens, the district is built on the cornerstones of integrity, community, accountability, and trust.

Located in Rome, Georgia, the Floyd County School System proudly serves 16 schools across the district.

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