The principal of Walnut Grove High School gave the City Council an update on the school’s enrollment growth, student outcomes and campus improvements, and thanked the city and school board for recent investments.

The principal said the school’s vision is “for all students [to] have meaningful school experience,” and described steady enrollment growth — currently about 1,483 students with a projection near 1,560 next year — and what she called the highest graduation rate the school has recorded this past year. She told council members the school has expanded its advanced placement offerings and dual-enrollment opportunities to help students be “enrolled, enlisted or employed” after graduation.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the school’s gains affect city planning and community services. The principal said the school’s academic and career-pathway programs are helping students earn credentials before graduation, which the school and district view as part of workforce development.

Key details from the presentation included a new campus identification sign the school district paid about $16,000 for and an auditorium refresh funded by the board of education, a $1.5 million investment scheduled to begin this summer and complete by October. The principal also described a campus safety feature — an employee badge/button system linked to the sheriff’s office — and said Walton County Sheriff Brooks has agreed to place a sheriff’s department annex on campus to strengthen coordination.

The principal listed specific academic and extracurricular improvements: more students taking AP courses (the principal said the number of AP courses moved from five to seven since she arrived), the school being rated a five-star school under Georgia’s accountability system, new career-pathway credentials in construction and medical fields, state-level awards for arts and athletic teams, and participation in regional and national competitions.

Councilmembers asked questions and invited the principal to participate in upcoming community events including graduation. The principal closed by thanking the council for support and taking questions from the council.