Piedmont City School District Accomplishments 2026

● Piedmont City School District ranked 4th out of 139 school districts in the State on the most recent State Report Card, with a score of 96.

● PCSD has been in the top 5 of all state school districts by Report Card Score since 2022

● PCSD has scored an A on every report card since 2019

● PCSD has the 14th-highest standardized test scores (ACAP/ACT) in Math, ELA, and Science among 139 districts in Alabama.

● Ranked 1st in the Nation for growth in Math scores for Grades K-8 from 2019-2022.

● Grades K-8th were ranked 3rd in the Nation for Math Gains from 2019-2023

● Grades K-8th were recognized for the highest math and reading gains in the state from 2019-2024.

● All Piedmont City School District teachers are Apple Certified.

● Piedmont City School District has the highest percentage of teachers in the state and nationally who are National Board Certified.

● Piedmont Education Trust (PET) awarded $73,897 in scholarships and $15,401 in Teacher Grants for 2026.

● Superintendent Mike Hayes was named the District 6 Alabama School Superintendent of the Year. One of nine finalists for the 2025 Alabama School Superintendent of the Year.

Piedmont High School

● Piedmont High School has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School since 2012.

● PHS 24-25 Report Card Score of 93.

● Twenty students were inducted into the ACT 25+ Club and six into the ACT 30+ Club.

● For the state of Alabama, the Class of 2026 had the top 13% of English ACT scores, top 2% of math ACT scores, and top 14% of science ACT scores on the April 2025 state assessment.

● All core teachers gained Apple Certified Teacher status and ACT Certified Teacher status.

● PHS ranked among the top schools in Alabama for College and Career Readiness for Graduating Seniors. GreatSchools.org named PHS one of the top high schools for college preparedness.

● Scholarships totaling $5.2 million were awarded to the PHS Class of 2026.

● Assistant Principal Aaron Studdard was named District VI Assistant Principal of the Year by AASSP in 2025.

● The football team is a 5-time 3A State Championship team. They have won 10 out of the 12 last region championships and have been to the Semifinals 9 of the last 10 years.

● The baseball team won its 14th consecutive area championship, was runner up in the Calhoun County Tournament, and made the Semifinals for the 5th time in 10 years.

● Girls’ Track won 3A Sectional Track Meet

● The Centerstage Society Theatre Club participated in the District Level and State Level Trumbauer Theatre Festival. Multiple students placed in their categories. The club performed an original play written by a student for the Christmas Spectacular. The group

also performed “The Wizard of Oz” with its largest cast to date, nearly 100 students.

● The Blue Knights Marching Band won first place and most entertaining band at the Sandmountain Invitational Band Competition and Pell City Marching Festival. They also won Best in Class for Band, Percussion, and Drum Major. The band also performed at

Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.

Piedmont Middle School

● Piedmont Middle School 25-26 Report Card Score of 95 was in the top 9% of ALL schools in the state

● Piedmont Middle School Math performed in the top 7% of ACAP scores

● Piedmont Middle School 6th Grade Math ranked in the top 5% of ACAP scores

● Piedmont Middle School ELA performed in the top 15% in each grade level of ACAP scores

● Piedmont Middle School was named as one of 43 High Flyer Schools in Alabama.

● Piedmont Middle School was named a CLAS Banner School of Distinction.

● Piedmont Middle School is the top middle school in Calhoun County, according to Niche and US News and World Report.

● The Junior High Girls Basketball team was Calhoun County Champions 2026.

● The Junior High Baseball team went 26-5 and was Calhoun County Champions 2026.

● The Junior High Girls Volleyball team was 34-2 and was Calhoun County Champions 2026.

Piedmont Elementary School

● Piedmont Elementary School was recognized for the highest math and reading gains in the state from 2019-2024.

● Piedmont Elementary School was named an ARI Science of Reading School 2024-2025

● Piedmont Elementary School was named a National Title I Distinguished School

● Piedmont Elementary School was 1 of 5 schools in Alabama named as a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School.

● Piedmont Elementary School has a partnership with the JSU Early Childhood Department called “Cocky Reads”, in which all first graders receive a book and a literacy activity to take home, and “Cocky Counts” to support the Numeracy Act.

● Piedmont Elementary and Middle Schools have a partnership with JSU’s Nursing Department and Sight Savers America’s KidCheck Program to provide annual head to toe health screening for PreK through 8th grade students.

● Piedmont Elementary School has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School.

● Piedmont Elementary School was named as one of 43 High Flyer Schools in Alabama.

● Piedmont Elementary School was named an ARI Science of Reading School 2024-2025

● Piedmont Elementary School scored a 97 on the 2024-2025 State Report Card