As kids head back to school in Southwest Florida, parents are seeing how their children’s schools performed last year. The state just released its annual school grades, a snapshot that measures how well districts did in areas like student achievement, learning gains, graduation rates, and college and career readiness.
Each school earns points in up to 12 accountability categories. If at least 95% of eligible students take the required tests, those points combine to create a final letter grade.
How do our biggest local school districts, Charlotte, Lee, Sarasota, and Collier measure up this year?
First, the good news: not a single traditional public school in our area received a D or F.
Sarasota County Schools once again set the bar high, securing an overall A grade for the 23rd year straight. Englewood Elementary held onto its A rating, and the district’s managed schools all brought home As or Bs. Every middle school under district management earned an A, and Englewood Elementary continues to rank among the best elementary schools in the region.
But if you dig deeper, you’ll find each district has its own mix of wins and hurdles.
Charlotte County celebrated a return to top form. For the first time in 15 years, Charlotte County Public Schools earned an A district grade. The district not only bumped up its overall accountability score by 39 points but also landed at 21st out of 67 districts statewide. Ten schools pulled off A grades, and only two schools received a C, cutting last year’s total by two-thirds. Every district-operated school dodged the D and F categories.
Here are the two Charlotte County schools that still earned a C:
– Peace River Elementary
– Neil Armstrong Elementary
Superintendent Mark Vianello credited this progress to steady teamwork and a relentless focus on improvement.
Collier County Public Schools continued its impressive streak, earning an A for the ninth straight year, ranking sixth out of all Florida districts. Of the big or similarly sized districts, only one scored higher, and no other district serving as many English Language Learners matched Collier’s performance. Out of their 52 traditional public schools, 51 earned As or Bs, with none dropping to D or F.
Seven schools made the jump to an A this year, including Eden Park Elementary, which earned its first A, and Everglades City School, leaping from a C to an A. Still, not every school climbed higher. Pinecrest Elementary fell from an A to a C after holding an A for the past two years. Gulf Coast Charter Academy South stayed at a C for the third year.
Lee County kept its B rating but posted its highest overall accountability score in more than a decade. Twenty-nine schools improved their grades, and again, none fell into the D or F zones. Lee County now has 24 A-rated schools and 29 B’s. Four schools, Tortuga Preserve Elementary, J. Colin English Elementary, Hancock Creek Elementary, and San Carlos Park Elementary, jumped up two letter grades. Gateway High School earned an A in just its sixth year.
Despite those gains, 30 traditional public schools in Lee County held a C rating. Here are some schools in that group:
– Allen Park Elementary
– Bonita Springs Elementary
– Fort Myers Middle School
– Dunbar High School
– Riverdale High School
– North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts
Check this link for the complete list.
Lee County has already marked 18 schools for “tiered support” to help them improve. For example, Colonial Elementary just missed moving up a grade by two points.
Teachers and administrators know the work is not finished. Although statewide, over three-quarters of schools earned an A or B this year, they will face a higher bar next year. The state plans to tighten the grading scale, which means schools will need to earn more points to keep their grades. Next year’s results will come out once the school year wraps up. All eyes will be on whether schools keep this momentum going.
Click here for a complete list of the Florida school ratings.
