Lowndes High School Students Earn 210 Top AP Scores, School Recognized Statewide

Lowndes High School students achieved record success in Advanced Placement (AP) exams during the 2025-2026 school year, with 146 students earning a total of 210 scores of 5, the highest possible mark. This achievement reflects continued growth in the school's college-level coursework program and earned Lowndes High statewide recognition from the Georgia Department of Education.

Administrators recently presented these results to the Lowndes County Board of Education, highlighting increased student participation and outstanding exam performance. AP courses allow high school students to complete rigorous college-level studies, with exams scored on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 3 or higher is generally considered a qualifying score, potentially leading to college credit or advanced placement at universities.

Lowndes High School offers 22 AP courses across various subjects, including English, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, world language, and computer science. For the 2025-2026 academic year, 518 students collectively took 948 AP exams. Of these students, 466, or 90%, achieved a score of 3 or higher on at least one exam.

The Georgia Department of Education recognized Lowndes High as a 2026 Advanced Placement Honor School in four categories: AP Humanities School, AP Humanities Achievement School, AP STEM School, and AP STEM Achievement School. The school district noted these designations acknowledge both the extensive advanced coursework available to students and their success in these subjects. Humanities and STEM School honors recognize broad student participation across multiple AP subject areas, while Achievement designations signify that at least 50% of exams in those fields earned scores of 3 or higher.

The school has seen substantial expansion in its AP program over the past eight years. Student participation has increased by 57%, the number of AP exams administered has grown by 66%, and the percentage of participating students earning a score of 3 or higher has climbed by more than 25 percentage points, according to the school district.

To celebrate the 146 students who earned a score of 5 on their AP exams, school administrators and teachers visited their families to present “AP 5” yard signs, allowing for a shared celebration of their accomplishments. Additionally, 32 members of the Class of 2026 were awarded the LHS Advanced Placement Achievement Award for completing eight or more AP courses throughout their high school careers.

LHS Assistant Principal Casey Page expressed pride in students who challenge themselves through AP coursework and meet high expectations. Page stated that as the school continues to expand access and encourage more students to take academic risks, achievement continues to grow.

Lowndes High teachers also play a role in helping students navigate the demands of college-level classes. AP U.S. Government teacher Alyssa Smith's students, for instance, demonstrated exceptional results. Of 92 students in her AP sections, 89% earned a score of 3 or higher, with 78% achieving a 4 or 5. Nearly half of her students, 43 of 92, earned the highest possible score of 5. This compares favorably to state figures, where 25% of students across Georgia earned a 5, and global figures, where 23% did. Her students also posted an average exam score of 4.13, exceeding the state average of 3.53 and the global average of 3.42.

Smith noted the unique challenge of teaching AP Government to primarily freshmen, making it one of their first rigorous college-level high school classes. She works to help them adjust to AP demands while keeping the subject engaging for 15-year-olds. Smith credited the program's success to her students, their families, and the community supporting them, as well as the preparation students receive throughout the Lowndes County School System.

Junior Libbie Akers exemplifies this success, earning three scores of 5 on AP exams last school year, including one as a freshman in Smith’s AP U.S. Government class. Akers balanced AP Environmental Science, English Language Arts, and World History with competitive dance at Winnersville Elite and a leadership role in the Lowndes High Georgia Bridgemen Colorguard. She dedicated significant time after school and on weekends to study and complete homework for the “tremendous workload that comes with AP classes,” as she described it.

Akers, an aspiring meteorologist hoping to attend the University of Florida, sees her strong AP performance as a way to potentially take fewer fundamental college classes, get ahead in her degree, and have flexibility to pursue other interesting courses. For students like Akers, qualifying AP scores can mean starting college with earned credit, placing into advanced courses, or having more flexible college schedules.

Page emphasized that these results reflect the hard work of students, the dedication of teachers, and a schoolwide commitment to helping every student recognize their capabilities.