Facts-at-a-Glance

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    Student Demographics
    55.9% White
    18.6% Black
    16.4% Hispanic
    4.6% Asian
    4.3% Multiracial
    0.2% Native American

    Schools and Enrollment
    Pre-K 2,500
    74 Elementary Schools 41,222
    3 Elementary/Middle Schools (K-8) 2,238
    21 Middle Schools 19,913
    18 High Schools 29,302
    5 Exceptional Schools 684
    19 Charter Schools 5,844
    Other 1,363
    Pinellas Virtual School 176
    Total PK-12 103,242
       
    Pinellas Technical College 5,172
    Adult General Education 18,441

     

    District Size
    Pinellas County Schools is the seventh largest district of Florida’s 67 public school systems and 26th largest out of more than 16,000 districts in the United States.

    Personnel
    (Substitutes Included)       Full-time             Part-time
    Administrative*                    399                        0
    Instructional                         7,585                    1,959
    Supporting Services            4,958                     1,004

    *Forty-three percent of all instructional and administrative personnel have a master’s degree or higher.
     
    Financial 2016-2017
    Total budget, all sources: $1,502,473,821

    Operating Budget
    Total: $928,285,040 - Salaries and Benefits; Textbooks; Materials and Supplies; Student Transportation; Custodial; Maintenance; Training; General Administration; and Equipment.

    Capital Outlay
    A five-year capital outlay plan is underway to improve every school facility. Investments include completely new campuses to replace aging infrastructure, new building additions,
    renovated media centers, updated athletic facilities and more.
     
    Total: $297,205,107 - Renovations/Remodeling; New Construction at Existing Facilities; Purchase of Real Property; Furniture and Equipment; Handicapped Accessibility; Fire, Health and Safety, Environmental Compliance
     
    Where we spend the money...
    • District Instruction - $550,950,736
    • Plant Operations and Maintenance - $96,165,370
    • Instruction Support  - $67,884,623
    • School Administration - $55,182,266
    • General Support/Other -  $28,129,812
    • Pupil Transportation -  $33,527,193

    Classroom expenditures account for 66.69 percent of the overall budget. The capital outlay fund cannot be used for operating expenses unless specifically allowed by the Florida Legislature. In 2016-17, Pinellas County Schools will receive approximately 46 percent of its total operating budget from the state, 53 percent from local sources and less than 1 percent from the federal government. Salaries and fringe benefits represent 82.53 percent of the total operating budget. The average planned expenditure per student is $8,390 from the operating fund.
     
    Community Involvement
    PCS welcomes volunteers, mentors, tutors, speakers, PTA/PTSA and School Advisory Council members.
    We also welcome business and community partnerships. For more information, contact the Office of
    Strategic Partnerships at 727-588- 5050.

    Transportation
    The district currently operates 470 home-to-school routes daily, transporting approximately 32,000 students twice per day. The department operates six bus compounds throughout the county and employs 500 school bus drivers.
     
    Referendum
    Since 2004, Pinellas County voters have supported students and teachers through the Referendum. The half-mill tax generates funds to strengthen reading, music and arts programs; provide updated technology; and help recruit and retain teachers.

    Virtual Education
    Pinellas County Schools has its own virtual school called Pinellas Virtual School (PVS) and students may take virtual classes part-time or full time. For middle and high school students, PVS uses digital resources and lesson plans used in many of the district’s traditional classrooms. All teachers are district employees. Registration for virtual school begins 90 days prior to the first day of school. Learn more at www.pcsb.org/virtual.
     
    Career Readiness
    • Middle and high school students earned more than 10,000 industry certifications in the 2015-2016 school year.
    • The Pinellas GED pass rate of 85% is higher than the state average of 79%.
    • Adult ESOL program enrollment is more than 3,500 students, double the enrollment from two years prior.
    • Career Academy students have a higher graduation rate, higher grade point averages, and better attendance than non-academy students.
    • Students are preparing for Science,Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers as early as elementary school. Nearly 5,000 students participate in 247 after-school STEM Academies.
     
    District Choice Programs
    Pinellas County Schools offers families a wealth of educational choices based on students' interests, talents and abilities. We strive to meet the needs of today's students with a growing list of more than 70 choice programs that range from Centers for Gifted Studies to International Baccalaureate (IB). Opportunities for students have been expanded with the creation of new elementary, middle and high school choice programs. Discover all the choices the District Application Programs provide.Visit www.pcsb.org/choice to learn more and to view a list of programs.
     
     
     Striving for the Goal
    • Pinellas County Schools continues to maintain the AdvancED Accreditation Commission’s Systems Accreditation, the highest level of accreditation a school system can receive from the organization. Accreditation through AdvancED provides each of the district’s 130 school sites with a globally recognized distinction of quality. It demonstrates commitment to continuous improvement to the five AdvancED standards and provides tools to monitor progress toward the standards and survey students, staff and families in a systematic manner.
    • The 2016 graduation rate of 80.1% reflects an increase of 8.2% since the 2012-2013 school year. Graduation rates for minority groups have also increased through strategic initiatives focused on eliminating achievement gaps. The graduation rates for black and Hispanic students have increased 18.4% and 18.9%, respectively, since 2011.
    •  Students have more options than ever for advanced coursework with three International Baccalaureate Diploma programs, two Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education Diploma programs, and the Advanced Placement Capstone program in every high school. Advanced Placement participation and pass rates continue to increase. In one year, the number of exams with a passing score increased 11%.
    • Every high school offers AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination. AVID prepares students for success in high school, college and a career, especially students traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
    • Pinellas leads the nation in career and technical education. Ford Next Generation Learning named Pinellas the second Model Community in the nation for the successful implementation of high school career academies. More than 19,000 students take advantage of career academies.
    • Pinellas students score high on the SAT college entrance exam. The school district’s 2016 mean scores surpassed state and national scores on each section of the exam. Schools help students take advantage of free, personalized SAT preparation through SATpractice.org. All students can participate in the PSAT, an assessment that can lead to college scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship program.