Welcome to James Rickards High School website!

I would like to share with you my educational background. With 15 years in Leon County Schools as a Teacher, and 15 years as an Administrator, this background has provided me the experiences to prepare high-school students for post-secondary education or to select a career path.

With 30 years of educational experiences and 9 years at James S. Rickards High School the journey from 58% to a 96% graduation rate over the last 5 years has been a very rewarding accomplishment. During the 2018-2019 school year James S. Rickards High School earned a School Grade B for the first time since 2011.  James S. Rickards High School still scores above the average on the IB exams.

During my tenured we have added Industry Certification in the following areas: Adobe, Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, Welding and CNA. Our Mu Alpha Theta Teams continues to the excel. Over the last three years our CNA students have scored 85% on Certified Nursing Exam.

Rickards is known through-out the State for our Science Olympiad and Mu Alpha theta Teams. The Science Olympiad Team have placed 1^st in several categories.  Students have several first place finishes in the State Science Fair Competition.

I believe in order for students to excel, they must have a safe and caring learning environment. Positive working relationships between students, teachers, support staff, parents, and administration are vital to the success of such an environment. Thus, I actively demonstrate my belief by working within the school and local community groups as an advocate for students. My focus is to promote the overall success and educational issues in the best interest of the students.

I hope you find our website useful and informative. Thanks for visiting and please contact us with any questions.

             Go Raiders!!!      

Douglas Cook, Principal