The rise of A.C. Flora High School
The rise of A.C. Flora High School
By SARAH ELLIS
sellis@thestate.com
For years, A.C. Flora High School was in the shadow of rival Dreher, which many traditionally consider to be Richland 1’s flagship high school.
Not any more.
It’s been a banner year for A.C. Flora: State athletic championships. Most challenging high school accolades. Recognition for the state’s largest International Baccalaureate program.
It’s part of a trend over the past decade or so that has elevated Flora academically and athletically, today ranking it among Richland 1’s and the state’s elite schools.
Principal Richard McClure credits this year’s graduating class of just over 300 students with spurring much of that success.
More than 60 of them graduated last week with IB degrees. On top of that, their class brought home nearly a dozen state championship athletic trophies since their freshman year.
“I think there are multiple things that have happened in concert with each other that have all led to this,” McClure said, “and they haven’t happened overnight.”
So what has propelled Flora’s rise?
A.C. Flora Principal Roger McClure talks to members of the 2015 graduating class last week. McClure credits the Class of 2015 with helping to raise the bar academically and athletically at the school. - Tracy Glantz tglantz@thestate.com
Leadership
When Richard McClure walked into Flora as principal nine years ago, it was largely a different place than it is now.
The campus was under construction. The sports teams were underwhelming. Student involvement was low.
“Everybody just seemed to kind of go their own way,” McClure said. “There wasn’t a sense of school unity or mission or a sense of cooperativeness or school spirit.”
Under his tutelage, that has changed. He has reached out to all stakeholders – parents, teachers and students – to get their opinions and get them involved.
“I think Mr. McClure’s strength as a leader is he understands what people’s strengths are, and he capitalizes on them and gives them the leeway to shine and bring their talents,” said Beatrice King, a Richland 1 school board member of mother of three sons, the oldest of whom graduated from Flora last week.
“He really enables people to contribute to the best of their abilities through their talents.”
Read more about McClure’s approach to leadership.
Tyler Gray, left, Anil Kircaliali, and Annie Williams, all at the top of their class, graduated last week from A.C. Flora. - Tracy Glantz tglantz@thestate.com
Academics
Roughly 20 percent of this year’s A.C. Flora seniors graduated from the rigorous IB program, the state’s largest, according to McClure.
More than half of all students are enrolled in IB or Advanced Placement classes, and more than four out of five of them graduate on time.
“I think as students saw other students’ success, (they said), ‘Well I can do this, too,” McClure said.
Flora’s challenging academics are partly what attracted Anil Kircaliali, who moved from Turkey two years ago and whose family chose to locate in Forest Acres so he could attend Flora.
“In Turkey, I used to go to an IB school, too, so I get the chance to compare the IB program here to Turkey,” said Kircaliali, who graduated from Flora Thursday. “It's just so much more rigorous and serious here.”
As a result, Kircaliali, who will study mechanical engineering in the USC Honors College, and others leave Flora well-prepared for challenging college course work.
Read more about Flora’s academic offerings.
A.C. Flora students donate blood in the school's gymnasium - Image courtesy of A. C. Flora H. S.
Involvement
Before she became the senior president of A.C. Flora’s Model United Nations organization, Annie Williams was an unprepared junior who was thrown into the state conference at the last minute, staying up all night to write a dozen speeches.
“That was a way I got to push myself and go outside my comfort zone,” Williams said.
Like many Flora students, the Duke University-bound graduate has connected with Flora through any number of extracurricular activities, from athletic teams to the French Club and student government.
In a decade, McClure notes participation in Flora’s extracurricular scene has ballooned – from 30-some to more than 200 students in Youth and Government, another four- to five-fold growth in National Honor Society participation and doubled enrollment in arts programs, to name a few.
Several of those clubs are standouts in state, regional and national level competitions.
On top of a rigorous academic curriculum, the array of social and cultural activities has created a well-roundedness among Flora’s students.
“I feel very comfortable with the world being in (these students’) hands,” McClure said.
Read more about Flora’s involved students and parents.
A.C. Flora players huddle before the first half of the Class 3A Boys State Championship game at Colonial Life Arena. 3/7/15 - File photo
Sports
A.C. Flora's rise in the classroom has been paralleled by its success in athletics.
“Sometimes you kind of get stereotyped into only being good at one (thing), like being nerdy or a jock,” said Tyler Gray, who graduated Thursday and will play football at Harvard University.
“The school is filled with people that can combine both really well.”
The Falcons captured state championships in boys soccer, boys tennis and boys golf during the 2014-15 school year. It also fielded strong teams in girls soccer, football, boys basketball and baseball.
Its success in athletics earned A.C. Flora the distinction as The State newspaper’s high school athletics program of the year.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2015 at 12:30 PM with the headline "The rise of A.C. Flora High School."