What do you think about when you think of your time in elementary school? Laughter and smiles, learning the world around you, the sense of safety and belonging? Hiland Park Elementary brings to our students all of those things and more! My name is Ilea Faircloth and I am the proud principal of Hiland Park Elementary School! Here at Hiland Park we teach the whole child and prepare our students to be leaders and confident learners. The mission of Hiland Park Elementary is to develop the whole child by empowering leaders and creating an atmosphere of excellence and happiness.

How do we achieve such a high goal? At Hiland Park, we bring together Franklin Covey’s Leader in Me and the RCA House System to achieve this goal. In fact, we are among the list of 668 LightHouse Schools worldwide, certified for our excellence in the Leader in Me program. We work to move our students from dependence, independence, then interdependence. Our students begin in PreK to learn and live the 7 Habits:

Be Proactive
Begin with the End in Mind
Put First Things First
Think Win/Win
Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Synergize
Sharpen the Saw

We also use the Ron Clark House System to inspire our students to be leaders and celebrate what makes each of us special. Our school is divided into four leadership houses to create unique communities. Our four houses are Altruismo, the Black House and the House of Givers; Amistad, the Red House and the House of Friendship, Isibindi, the Green House and the house of Courage; and Rêveur, the Blue House and the House of Dreamers. Our houses create a sense of belonging and community within our school, bringing together students in Prek-5, teachers, staff and parents. We recognize teamwork and celebrate each other as a school, not just a grade level during our house meetings each month. Hiland Park is a staple of the community and part of so many Bay County families. In 1937, Mr. H. D. Foreman donated a 5 acre tract of land to the Bay County School Board for the purpose of building a school on the site. The school was constructed, in 1937, by local labor with the school board furnishing the materials. After completion, the school consisted of 4 classrooms and a total enrollment of 121 students. Each year thereafter, our school grew and enrollment peaked at over 800 students.

This year, Hiland Park has a little over 650 students and we continue to grow. We welcome you at Hiland Park- where leadership and community inspire tomorrow’s leaders. #HPELeadtheWay

ILEA FAIRCLOTH, Principal
faircim@bay.k12.fl.us

850-767-1376

Hiland Park Elementary School

September/October 2025