Students in Alachua County set new record for perfect state test scores
Eighteen-nine pupils across the district achieved perfect grades, with one eighth-grader topping four different exams.
By Leah Thompson ·
189. That is the number of Alachua County Public Schools students who received perfect scores on state tests administered in 2026. The Florida Department of Education released the results on November 5, confirming a rise in top-tier performance for the district.
The trend builds on previous years. In 2025, eleven students earned perfect scores on multiple assessments. This year, that figure climbed to fourteen. The data shows a consistent pattern of high achievement across grade levels and school types within the county.
Jerry Fenn stands out among the top performers. While attending the Lyceum Center for Advanced Studies at Lincoln Middle School as an eighth-grader, Fenn scored perfectly on the state’s algebra, civics, language arts, and science exams. He is now a student at Buchholz High School. Amir Buck also achieved multiple perfect scores. As a fifth-grader at Alachua Elementary School, Buck earned perfect marks in language arts, math, and science. He currently attends Mebane Middle School.
The perfect scores came from students in elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the district. The list of participating schools includes Alachua, Archer, Chiles, Foster, Glen Springs, Hidden Oak, Idylwild, Littlewood, Meadowbrook, Parker, Talbot, Wiles, and Williams Elementary Schools. It also includes Bishop, Ft. Clarke, Lincoln, Oak View, and Westwood Middle Schools, High Springs Community School, Hawthorne Middle High School, and Buchholz, Eastside, Gainesville, Newberry, and Santa Fe High Schools.
Anastasios Kamoutsas, the former Florida Commissioner of Education, sent individual letters to each of the 189 students. In the letters, he wrote, “I am very proud of your accomplishment.” He added that their exceptional achievement serves as an example of the success possible through hard work and care for one’s education.
The Florida Department of Education data marks the end of the 2026 testing cycle reporting for the district. The results reflect performance on standardized state assessments.
