The latest school ratings have been announced for this year, and they come coupled with excitement. Seminole High was given an “A” rating for the first time since 2008, and has steadily improved its score since it dipped to a “C” in 2009.

The news is important because a school’s rating and its budget have a direct relationship; higher scores mean more funding.

This improvement indicates that everyone that is a part of Seminole, be it students, staff, or faculty, has worked hard at their respective jobs with the results to show for it.

Senior Anuj Mehta showed pride for Seminole and stated, “We have some of the best academic and sport programs, clubs, teams and students in the county, and the rating reflects our students, teacher, and faculty and how great they are.”

Schools are graded on a cumulative point system that depends on FCAT scores. The ratings are generated by calculating the reading, writing, mathematics, and science sections of the FCAT and FCAT 2.0.

The percent of students that score at the benchmark level 3 or higher on the above sections is combined with the percentage that score a level 4 or higher, which in turn is combined with students who achieve learning gains to reach an overall score.

When asked if she was surprised by the high score, senior Lauren Cooper responded, “I was surprised, honestly. Not because I don’t think we deserve it, but that I was under the impression we already were.”

Junior Matt Armogan wasn’t surprised: “Not really. I knew that Seminole High is a great school, with different advanced programs such as IB and Health Academy, and with all the potential that I’ve seen around campus, it seemed hard for us not to get an A rating.”

This incentive should inspire everyone to work a little harder, because after all, who doesn’t want upgrades around campus?