- July 3, 2026
As Volusia County Schools celebrates its second year of being rated an "A" district by the Florida Department of Education, Ormond Beach area schools are celebrating milestones and learning gains of their own.
In a press release, VCS reported that the district has shown consistent growth over the past five years. Earning a consecutive "A" grade is a historic moment for the district, said Superintendent Carmen Balgobin.
"It truly took a village," she said. "These results reflect the sustained, intentional work happening in our classrooms every day: our students rising to the challenge; our teachers and school leaders staying aligned to strong instruction and using data to meet every student where they are; our support staff keeping our schools safe and running smoothly; our families and community partners reinforcing that work at home; and our School Board standing behind us every step of the way. We’re proud of this progress and committed to continuing to close achievement gaps, accelerating learning for every student, and preparing every graduate for success beyond the classroom. When a community commits to its schools the way Volusia has, this is what happens.”
Volusia's total number of "A" schools increased to 37 from 29 in the 2024-2025 year. The district has no "D" or "F" schools, and will have no schools identified as "turnaround" by DOE for the second year in a row.
The district noted that this was a significant achievement, as four years ago, less than 50% of VCS schools were "A" or "B" schools. Today, 90% of the district's schools are "A" or "B" schools.
Ormond Beach schools are part of that 90%.
Of the nine schools zoned for Ormond Beach students, eight were designated as "A" schools by DOE for the 2025-2026 academic year. Two of them — Pathways Elementary and Hinson Middle School — went up from a "B."
It's an achievement their principals said they were excited about as they prepare for the upcoming school year.
"We really wanted to make sure that we earned an A," Pathways Principal Kevin Berry said. "This was a huge team effort. I think of it as a collective commitment to excellence."
Every member of Team Pathways had an active role in improving the school grade, Berry said. Teachers collaborated for education plans, volunteered to tutor students and participated in the increased focus on small group instruction. That made a big difference, said Berry, who has been principal for the last two school years.
"Our students overall, they were committed to growing," he said. "They demonstrated their resilience every day. They set goals with their families, their teachers, and other adults in their lives, and they worked to follow them."
In terms of learning gains, Pathways saw a 14-point increase in math. That was a concerted effort for teachers and staff, Berry said. Additionally, Pathways' students with disabilities performed better and showed more growth than in recent years. The school tested 99% of its students, according to DOE data.
Beyond academics, Berry said there was a collective effort between the school, the district and the PTA to increase involvement and host family activities and celebrations to foster a sense of community.
"We're the Patriots — it means standing together and we're standing together in excellence," Berry said. "This is just one other example, one other way, that it's demonstrated."
At Hinson, Principal William Dunnigan said they have been just a few points shy of obtaining an "A" grade for the past three years. Finally achieving that goal reflects the dedication of the school community and the hard work of teachers, he said.
"I'm so proud of the students, their determination to do their best every day, and the teachers and the staff with their unwavering commitment when they look at data and help in moving students forward so they're successful," Dunnigan said. "... We work hard every day and the results are showing."
The "A" represents a culture of high expectations that Hinson continues to create through partnerships with families and the district, he added. Hinson is one of 11 middle schools in the district that maintained or increased their school grade.
Dunnigan also said they're proud to see the learning gains in their lower-performing students. A total of 96% of students were tested.
"It's always about growth," he said.
In neighboring Daytona Beach, Champion Elementary is celebrating improving from a "C" to a "B." The school's new principal, Samantha Fabulich, said the faculty and staff were "unbelievably happy" at the news.
"We had set a high goal for us and so we are very excited that we did achieve it," she said.
Fabulich, who previously served as the school's assistant principal, said they focused on goal-setting with students in the past year and that had the biggest impact.
"They were very loud and proud about it, and everybody on campus was just very excited to see how our kids grew and how happy they were about that growth," she said. "It's not just about us — it's 100% about the kids — and it's nice to see that they put that smile on their face, and they're proud of themselves because they're the ones that accomplished the goal that they had set forth."
Champion saw learning gains in every category, including 21 points in math. The school also went up 11 points in ELA. A total of 96% of students were tested.
Fabulich said their goal at Champion is to become an "A" school next year and will be focusing on science and third grade ELA to make that happen. She's also hoping to increase the community events the school hosts as the surrounding neighborhoods in the LPGA area continue to grow.
"There's such growth out here," Fabulich said. "Left and right, I feel like there's something new going up, and because of that I want to make sure that community involvement is key, since the majority of our families are all surrounding us. To bring them here and to show them what we're doing and allow them to be a part of this culture, I think, is going to be a huge asset to us."
