Altha, Florida

Geography

Altha is located at 30°34′18″N 85°7′39″W (30.571710, -85.127533).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (2.72%) is water.

Altha is located in the northwestern part of Florida, approximately 45 minutes from the Georgia state line and one hour from the Alabama state line. Altha is in a rural county, with the primary industry being agriculture. Tomatoes, watermelons, green vegetables, cucumbers, peanuts, corn, wheat, and cotton are all major industries in this farming community. The timber industry also thrives in the area, with many farmers electing to plant pine trees.

Businesses and attractions

The largest employer in Altha is Oglesby Plants International. The Chipola River, about three miles west of Altha, offers swimming and fishing opportunities.

Weather

Altha has an average high temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of 51 degrees Fahrenheit. Summers in this area are quite hot and humid, with afternoon showers frequently occurring during the summer months. Altha is located about 35 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, so when tropical storms or hurricanes approach the coastline, weather can become severe. In 2004, during Hurricane Ivan, dozens of homes were destroyed and 4 people were killed because of a severe tornado striking near the town.

The coldest part of the winter occurs during late January and early February. Night time temperatures can dip as low as the lower 20s, and in some isolated instances, even striking the mid teens. Days can be cool during these few weeks, with day time temperatures sometimes struggling to reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Education

Altha is home to Altha Public School, established early after the turn of the twentieth century. The "white building" as it is referred to, is still located on the current campus and houses several classrooms. This building was completed in 1929 and has been renovated several times to retain its natural time period decor while being outfitted for the 21st Century.

Altha School is a PreK through 12th grade school, one of less than 20 remaining such schools in the state of Florida. In 2006, the high school portion of the school was nearly closed and consolidated with Blountstown High. In 2014, the Florida Legislature awarded the Calhoun County School Board over 20 million dollars to build a new school in Altha. Construction will begin in early 2015.

The school mascot is the Wildcat, and school colors are purple and gold. Approximately 600 students attend Altha School, a number that surpasses the town population of 507. Ranked one of the top schools in Florida, Altha students consistently score well above state average on FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) testing. Altha School is consistently graded as an "A school each year on the Governor's A+ School Grade program. The school is a member of the organizations FCCLA, FBLA, Beta, and FFA.

In October 2014, Altha Middle School FFA was named the National Chapter of the Year at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

Sports

The girls' volleyball team has won numerous district, region, and state semi-finals playoffs as well. Altha School runs boys' basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball, weightlifting, and a Cross Country team. The girls' and boys' weightlifting teams have won several state championships.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 536 people and 219 households in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 99.5% Caucasian and 0.5% Asian or Hispanic/Latino.

The population was 47 percent male and 53 percent female. Twenty-three percent of the population was under 18 and 15.5 percent was 65 or over.