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Vestavia Hills board introduces new technology director and reviews high school academic data
Summary
The Vestavia Hills City Schools Board of Education welcomed Jason Foster as director of technology and received a presentation on high school academic measures, including AP participation, ACT scores and college- and career-readiness rates.
The Vestavia Hills City Schools Board of Education on Oct. 27 introduced Jason Foster as the district’s new director of technology and heard a presentation on high school academic results from the 2024–25 school year.
Foster, who the board recently approved as director of technology, told members he served as an assistant principal at Top Heights for eight years and held other administrative roles before moving to central office. "I was assistant principal at Top Heights for 8 years, and then, went over to the Zitz, the assistant principal there for 3 years," Foster said, describing his prior assignments and his transition into district leadership.
The presentation to the board summarized multiple indicators of college and career readiness. District presenters reported that 669 students took at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam in 2024–25 and that the district administered 1,551 AP exams in total. District staff estimated that about 41% of the roughly 1,600 high school students had taken at least one AP class or exam. On the ACT, the district reported a 2024–25 mean composite score of 23.9, based on 543 juniors who took the state-administered test with the writing component.
College- and career-readiness (CCR) attainment, a graduation requirement for the current cohort, rose to 95.83% for the class of 2025 from 93.82% for the class of 2024. District staff outlined multiple pathways for earning CCR, including AP scores of 3 or higher, ACT benchmarks, career-technical credentials, college credit earned in high school and military enlistment.
The presentation also noted success in National Merit recognition: the class of 2025 had 23 students identified in the National Merit process, and staff predicted 24 for the class of 2026. The presenter said the district often ranks near the top in the state on several academic indicators.
Board members praised the breadth of student opportunities that staff said contribute to those outcomes. One board member said, "It's a privilege to be part of this community where, you know, it's not just 1 facet. It's the whole camp," praising academics, arts, athletics and extracurricular activities.
Superintendent and staff told the board they expect the state report card for schools to be released around December and said the district’s strong performance on multiple indicators should be reflected there.
The presentation was informational; no board action was taken on the academic measures at the Oct. 27 meeting.
