Houston County spotlights AP five scores, teachers of the year and student leaders
Summary
Principals across Houston County recognized teacher‑ and student‑of‑the‑year honorees and more than 160 AP '5' scores in 2025; district leaders said AP participation and perfect scores rose year over year.
At the Dec. 9 board meeting, multiple principals brought students and teachers to recognize classroom and extracurricular achievement across the district.
Dr. Jeff Washington of Eagle Springs Elementary introduced students Oka Hashimoto and Grayson Barnes and honored teacher Diana Nelson, citing Nelson’s leadership and recent completion of cancer treatment. "You ring the bell every day not just for yourself but for the kids and the community you serve," Dr. Washington said of Nelson.
Huntington Middle principal Dr. Marlon Robinson presented his Teacher of the Year, Dr. Patricia Woodward, and student leaders (Dextony Lyons and Aiden Harden), noting leadership and academic successes. Thompson Middle School, Tucker Elementary and Westside Elementary also introduced their teacher‑of‑the‑year honorees and highlighted students for kindness, academic achievement and extracurricular involvement.
The district highlighted AP program success: Northside High and Veterans High brought dozens of students who reported earning 5s on AP exams. A Veterans High representative said the district recorded 167 AP '5' scores in 2025 and noted an increase in the share of exams scoring a 5 from 16% in 2024 to 18% in 2025; the district expects to administer roughly 1,100 AP exams next year.
Several students spoke from the audience and announced which exams earned a 5—for example, Kennel Rivera said, "I got a 5 on the AP precalculus exam." The recognitions were ceremonial and required no board motions.
The board paused for a short intermission after the presentations and then resumed business.
