Dr. Joe Williams, IB Program Coordinator

To All IB Parents and Guardians:

IB Senior College Application Day

IB Senior College Application Day will take place on Monday, October 6th, in the Rickards Cafeteria.IB Seniors will be in the cafeteria from 1st through 6th periods with Dr. Williams, Mrs. E. Melissa Cooper, Mrs. Victoria Williams, and representatives from FAMU, FSU, and TSC, who will be presenting helpful admissions and financial aid information and answering student questions about any aspect of the college application process, including completion of the FAFSA and FFAA forms.Rickards Guidance Counselors will also be present to answer student questions periodically throughout the day.Please make sure your IB senior comes to school with a fully charged Chromebook or laptop, as they will be expected to work on some aspect of their college applications the entire time they’re in the cafeteria.Students with a 7th-period class will attend that class as usual.  

National Merit Semifinalist
Congratulations to our 2025-2026 National Merit Semifinalists – Himank Chhaya, Donald English, and Nitya Konidala!  I am proud of these IB students for their impressive accomplishment and wish them continued success as they progress to the next phase of this prestigious scholarship competition.


IB Diplomas

IB Diplomas are here!The official IB Diplomas and IB Transcripts for Rickards IB Class of 2025 graduates have arrived. Please email Dr. Williams at joe.williams@leonschools.net to make an appointment to pick up your IB Diploma.One of your parents may also pick up your IB Diploma and IB

IB/AP Exam Schedule

Please see the attached IB/AP Exam schedule.  If a student has a conflict with an IB exam at the same time as an AP exam, they should let Dr. Williams and Mrs. E. M. Cooper know immediately. 

Welcome back to the 2025-2026 school year! We are excited for another successful year and greatly appreciate your cooperation and participation as we continue to build on the achievements of our IB Program.

Our entire IB Administrative Team is back this year, and our offices remain in the main administration building.

Here are our contact details:

Dear IB Parents and Students:

Thank you for your efforts in helping us secure full funding for our accelerated academic programs (IB, AP, and Dual Enrollment)! The legislative advocacy from parents, educators, alumni, and students across the state was remarkable. Our state legislators listened to our concerns, restoring full funding for accelerated academic programs in Florida’s public schools. We are grateful for your support and appreciate everything you do to ensure that the Rickards IB Diploma Programme remains fully funded and continues to be Leon County’s premier college-preparatory program. With your ongoing support, the Rickards IB Diploma Programme will thrive as a beacon of excellence for academically motivated students in Leon County.

Leon County Schools Bus Transportation for IB Students:

Dear Parents, we understand that many of you are frustrated with the new transportation system, especially those transitioning from other school zones within Leon County. If the assigned bus stop is unsafe or too far from your home, you can complete two forms to request a different stop. Please click the link labeled “BUS STOP/HAZARDOUS WALKING FORM” on this webpage: Leon County Bus Information or go directly to the forms at this address: Bus Stop Form.

For assistance with bus transportation for your IB student, please reach out to Mrs. Victoria Williams, our IB Academic Dean and IB Parent Liaison for Transportation, at victoria.williams@leonschools.net. If you are new to Leon County or have not yet registered your child for bus transportation, please visit this website and follow the instructions: Register for Bus Transportation.

We are committed to ensuring your child has safe transportation to and from school each day. Please note that Leon County Schools can only provide bus transportation for students residing within Leon County.

May 2025 IB Exam Session Highlights:

Our 2024-2025 IB seniors and juniors performed well in their overall IB Exam results. Out of 54 IB Diploma Candidates (Class of 2025), 37 students (69%) earned an IB Diploma. The overall IB Exam pass rate (scoring 4 or higher out of a possible 7) for all 119 students who took IB Exams was also 69%. The average points earned by those passing the diploma was 30 out of a possible 45 points (with 24 being the minimum passing score), and the average grade for candidates who passed was 4.8 out of 7. The highest point total earned was 42.