The Florida Department of Education released the 2024 school grades report on Wednesday.
While Sarasota and Pasco districts posted the same grade as the previous year, A and B respectively, Pinellas County Schools saw their first overall A ever.
The report looks at as many as 12 factors, such as test scores and graduation rates, and has rated public and charter elementary, middle and high school performances for two decades.
Kevin Hendrick is superintendent for Pinellas County Schools. He said the district and the community are very excited with the title of “excellence.”
“[We are] overjoyed. It is just tremendous to have the work of our classroom teachers, and our principals and our students validated for the great, excellent, excellent work that they have done this last school year,” Hendrick said. "I am proud of all of our schools and the work of our teachers and principals to make this a reality."
The improvement from a B a year earlier is attributed to the District Strategic Plan, according to a Pinellas County press release. The goal was to attain an A by 2026, but it was accomplished in one year instead. This year, the district also reached another milestone for the first time — no schools earned D's or F's.
Like most public schools in urban areas, Pinellas faces challenges due to the diverse background of students all learning at the same pace, Hendrick said.
“Really, we have students who come from backgrounds of trauma and poverty, and we also have students who come from traditional homes that don’t face the same obstacles,” he said.
To ensure all students are improving and blending under one system, Hendrick said Pinellas Schools are working on making children readers, as early literacy is a major issue.
Sarasota schools received an A, continuing a streak started in 2003. Pasco has received a B for the past six reports.
Hillsborough County Schools had decreases in the total number of D and F grades compared to last year. The county went from 33 D’s and F’s to nine D’s and no F’s, according to a press release. Hillsborough scored a B overall.
Education Commissioner Manny Diaz told the Tampa Bay Times that the statewide improvement is due to the new system that tests students three times a year instead of once. That gives teachers and schools the chance to make adjustments during the year.
The report states, among all Florida schools that were graded with a D or F in 2023, 85% improved their grades this year.
Additionally, 88% of schools who were graded F improved performance in 2024.
The report said the focus on “low-performance” is “paying off” as, since 2015, F schools have dropped 95%.
To find your district or specific elementary, middle or high schools in each county, visit the Florida Department of Education website.
