July 7, 2022

The Florida Department of Education released the 2021-2022 school and district grades for all schools and districts across the state for the first time since the 2018-2019 school year. Pinellas County Schools continues to show progress, with 74 percent of our schools maintaining or improving their school grades since the 2018-2019 school year. Pinellas County Schools remains a B district for the seventh consecutive year, demonstrating the dedication of all stakeholders to continue high-quality instruction even in the midst of a global pandemic.

“I am incredibly proud of the progress of our schools, teachers and administrators. We are well on our way to becoming an A district. It is through the commitment and collaboration of our students, families, staff and community that we will continue to accelerate our progress. We will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of every student to provide them world-class programming, instruction and extra-curricular experiences that every student deserves,” said Superintendent Kevin Hendrick. 

Additionally, 100 percent of schools in the Transformation Zone during the 2021-2022 school year earned a letter grade of a C or higher. Seven schools in the Zone demonstrated increases in the letter grade over the 2018-2019 school year with all other schools continuing to show progress. The community of Kings Highway Elementary celebrates its dedication to becoming an A school. Melrose Elementary has increased to a B. Lakewood Elementary shows sustainability in their progress earning a B following the 2021 school year when they earned an A. The commitment and effort of the school teams and district to improvement is evident in these outcomes (see Transformation Zone School Grade Trends chart below). The work in the Transformation Zone moving forward will be a continued focus on long-term progress and supporting any new schools demonstrating the need for more focused intervention. 

Key highlights in school grades include: 

• Ninety-three percent of schools earned a grade of A, B or C with 57 percent earning an A or a B;
• Seventy-four percent of schools maintained or increased their school grades;
• Eight schools increased to an A: Forest Lakes, Fuguitt, Kings Highway, Lake St. George and Sunset Hills elementary schools; Midtown Academy; and Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School and St. Petersburg High School;
• Fourteen schools increased to a B: Blanton, Melrose, Mildred Helms, Pinellas Central, Plumb, Sawgrass, Southern Oak, Tarpon Springs, Walsingham and Westgate elementary schools; Osceola and Tarpon Springs middle schools; and Dunedin and Seminole high schools;
• Four schools increased to a C: Gulfport, Lealman Avenue and Sandy Lane elementary schools and Azalea Middle School; and 
• Three schools improved two letter grades or more: Kings Highway Elementary School, Midtown Academy and Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School. 

Pinellas County Schools continues to be one of the top-performing urban school districts in the nation. Guided by the District Strategic Plan, Pinellas County Schools continues to expand programming and experiences so that the district provides limitless opportunities and support for every student to realize the vision of 100% student success. 

Superintendent Kevin Hendrick notes, “My vision for Pinellas County Schools is to provide the highest-quality instruction and experiences for our students so that they can realize their dreams and limitless potential. Despite the great results, we have much work to be done, especially in our middle schools. I am excited by the progress we have made and know that we will continue to enhance the strategies to make Pinellas County Schools the premier institution for PreK-12 education.”

Transformation Zone School Grade Trends