Chamber honors students at luncheon

The Homewood Chamber of Commerce hosted its 38th annual Excellence in Education Luncheon at the chamber’s monthly meeting at The Club on April 19. 

Five Homewood City Schools students received achievement awards for educational excellence including Edgewood Elementary student Neely Viner, Reagan Smoot, student at Hall-Kent Elementary, Bibb Wahl, student at Shades Cahaba Elementary, Jake Grill at Homewood Middle School, and Homewood High School senior Clara Rinker. 

Justin Hefner, school superintendent for Homewood City Schools, congratulated the students for their outstanding performances in school and updated their parents and chamber members on the school system’s success and progress in 2021. 

Strategic planning is an integral part of the success of HCS schools, Hefner said. 

HCS’ first strategic plan was created in 1995 and is normally updated every five years, he said. 

The purpose is to “chart a broad course for the next few years, use a variety of stakeholder input, compel us to think deeply and differently about our direction and focus on our efforts,” he said. 

Hefner reported that Homewood City Schools was ranked the best school system in the state by Niche as well as the number one place to raise a family.

It was also noted that Homewood High is “consistently ranked in the top five best high schools in Alabama by the US News and World Report, he said. 

For a 16th year in a row, HCS was ranked as one of the top school systems in the nation for music education, Hefner said. 

Hefner said the school system is currently updating various Homewood school facilities including Waldrop Stadium as well as the maintenance building underneath the stadium, the Homewood High School parking lot and the Homewood Middle School pedestrian bridge. 

The home side of Waldrop stadium is being renovated and the maintenance building will be taken out of the stadium and relocated, he said. 

The Homewood High School parking lot is being expanded to accommodate more student drivers, Hefner said. 

While doing routine maintenance on the Homewood Middle School pedestrian bridge, Hefner said, leaders realized there were some improvements that needed to be made. The bridge is expected to be back in operation in August, he said. 

“It’s probably one of my favorite places in all of our community,” Hefner said.

Hefner reported 79% of Homewood High School students scored a three or higher on an AP test. 

408 HHS students took AP classes in 2021, he said, with 1,002 AP tests being taken. 

“The students you see here today and their families are a direct correlation to the success of our school system but that effort is not done single handedly. We have fantastic teachers and fantastic leaders. We have a board that supports our teachers and our school system very very well,” Hefner said.