Lakeside receives excellence honor for third time
Although a recent announcement proclaiming Lakeside High School a 2005 Georgia School of Excellence will benefit the school, it will cost Lakeside Principal Jeff Carney.
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Lakeside High School Spanish teacher Gisela Diez works with the students in her Spanish 2 class.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"I promised my teachers a steak dinner if we won, so I've got to come through now," he said.
Carney made the deal after a win by Evans High School for the same honor in 2003.
"They were giving me a hard time last year when Evans' principal provided them some sort of cooked meal," he said. "I said, 'Well if Evans does it, we're going to top it.' I figure you can't do much better than steak."
State school Superintendent Kathy Cox made the announcement in an Atlanta news conference Thursday.
Lakeside High was among 20 schools named a school of excellence for 2005.
"Time after time, they step up to the plate, showing tremendous commitment to helping all students learn at high levels," Cox said in a released statement. "These are truly schools of excellence."
It was the third time Lakeside High had attained a School of Excellence honor. They were also given the designation in 1993 and 1999.
A school is allowed to win the honor only once every five years. This year was the first year Lakeside was eligible to win again.
"Schools like us have made our reputation anyway, and winning School of Excellence further solidifies the fact that we're cranking out top-notch students," Carney said.
Lakeside students eat lunch in the commons area at the school in Evans. Lakeside has been named a School of Excellence for the third time.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
This also is the first year the judging process for Schools of Excellence has moved from an application process to a more objective, data-driven model that used test scores as its foundation.
"This designation has more significance since it has been changed from a subjective process to an objective process with all schools being considered based on true results," Columbia County school Superintendent Tommy Price said in a released statement.
The winners will be honored at a banquet in Atlanta on April 29, and each school can now apply for national School of Excellence honors.