Foley High Earns Alabama School of Excellence Honor

Guy Busby • February 7, 2025

258 Passing Scores Set New Benchmark for School

Foley High School teachers, students and administrators were recognized Monday, Jan. 27, by the Foley City Council.

Foley, Ala. – (OBA) – Foley High School students and teachers have been recognized by the city of Foley for their excellence in advanced placement courses. 


On Monday, Jan. 27, the Foley City Council passed a resolution to honor the school for receiving the School of Excellence Award from A+ College Ready and the Alabama Board of Education. 


Last school year, Foley High students achieved 258 qualifying scores in challenging exams across 15 advanced placement courses, such as physics, calculus, and literature. According to Mayor Ralph Hellmich, this achievement set a new school record.


“We want to celebrate all of the successes that we can, especially in education. We have had tremendous success with Foley High School and our partnership with the Baldwin County Board of Education,” Hellmich said.


He said the resolution recognizes the efforts by students, teachers, administrators and the Baldwin County Board of Education.


We're proud of this,” Hellmich said. “We're going to continue to support our system and to make sure that our high school can be super successful.”


Foley High Principal Jessica Webb said the award reflects the joint efforts of teachers and students.


 “We have, I think, the best staff at Foley high school,” Webb said. “It's our teachers and our kids who put in the work. I'm so proud of them.”


 Stan Shotts, assistant principal, said students achieved outstanding results.


“We had a school record 258 total passing scores, with many students achieving the highest score, which is a five.  We partnered with A+ College Ready as part of a 3-year grant and we are integrating some pretty cool stuff in all of our classes.  Every student with a passing score earned college credit as well as a gift card.  Our school was awarded over $26,000 in gift cards.  We are very excited to partner with them again this year and I know we will have many more students earn passing scores, college credits and gift cards.”


Eddie Tyler, Baldwin County superintendent of education, said the test results are some of the best that he has seen for Foley High School.


“I've never heard those scores coming out of Foley High School in the past,” Tyler said. “This is exciting and refreshing, and I know that they're on a mission. That's not going to stop here. They're on a mission to be one of the best, of the best. And that's going to put them in a category with all of our high schools that are really marching toward excellence.”



Nine high schools and middle schools in Alabama were named Schools of Excellence for 2024. Foley High School was the only school in the Mobile Bay region to achieve this distinction.


High schools were recognized for meeting or exceeding their individual course and school goals set by A+ College Ready for qualifying scores on the spring 2024 Advanced Placement exams by significantly increasing the number of AP qualifying scores.

Share this article w/ Friends...

Your Guide to Things To Do This Week on the Gulf Coast
By Jessica A. Taylor June 15, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Summer is officially settling in along the Alabama Gulf Coast, and this week’s lineup shows there are many ways to enjoy it. Whether you're creating mosaic artworks, learning about local wildlife, enjoying a midweek coffee break, stockpiling for a backyard feast, testing your luck in a fis
Foley City Hall
By John Mullen June 15, 2026
Foley, Ala. – (OBA) – Foley looks to begin the journey to a new senior center as it considers hiring a firm for the construction design, engineering, and inspection at an upcoming council meeting. The city is looking for plans to be developed from June to December, with the goal of receiving bids in early 2027 and open
Gulf Shores City Hall
By John Mullen June 15, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores is seeking a grant to help the city celebrate the America250 Alabama Initiative. The state money would be for “community programming and historical engagement” to help celebrate the Declaration of Independence’s 1776 enactment.
Orange Beach Event Center
By R. Ken Cooper June 14, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Baldwin County voters will return to the polls Tuesday for a runoff election after several races in the May primary failed to produce outright winners. The runoff follows a May 19, 2026, primary in which only 19% of registered Baldwin County voters cast ballots, compared with 23% statewide
Cornerstone Church in Orange Beach
By R. Ken Cooper June 14, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Orange Beach Elementary School is preparing for its third annual Free Uniform Shop, offering local families the chance to stock up on school supplies at no cost. The event is open to all Orange Beach Elementary School students. Organizers are providing a wide range of items, including unif
Foley has planted 250 trees around the city as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of t
By Guy Busby June 14, 2026
Foley, Ala. — (OBA) — Foley has reached a milestone in its celebration of America's 250th birthday. The city has met its goal of planting 250 trees throughout the community as part of the nationwide semiquincentennial commemoration. The semiquincentennial marks 250 years since the United States was founded in 1776. Mo
A Work of Art with a 121
By R. Ken Cooper June 13, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Every July, Orange Beach becomes the center of the big-game fishing world. The Blue Marlin Grand Championship, held at The Wharf Marina, draws elite crews from across the Gulf to compete for a purse that topped $1.8 million in 2025. It's a tournament that blends serious competition with a c
Ashley McDonald grabs a selfie as she and the team from Dauphin Island Sea Lab start to harvest.
By R. Ken Cooper, from David Rainer’s article in Outdoor Alabama June 13, 2026
Fort Morgan, Ala. — (OBA) — A first-of-its-kind fish-farming project off the Alabama coast has reached a major milestone. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab recently harvested its first batch of redfish from an offshore aquaculture platform. The platform sits about two miles off the tip of the Fort Morgan peninsula in the Gul
Foley Elks Lodge Celebrates America's 250th Anniversary
By R. Ken Cooper June 13, 2026
Foley, Ala. — (OBA) — The Foley Elks Lodge invites the public to a Flag Day ceremony at 2621 S. Juniper St. in Foley to mark America's 250th anniversary. The event will feature a formal ceremony, food, and a look at the history of 27 versions of the American flag. National Flag Day is observed each year on the anniver
Orange Beach Performing Arts Center Stock Image
By R. Ken Cooper June 12, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — The Orange Beach Performing Arts Center is hosting its first-ever summer theatre camp this July. The program, Coastal Spotlight, is open to students ages eight to 13. The camp runs Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event marks a new chapter in youth arts programming for Orange Be
Show More