Families zoned to Oakstead Elementary School on Lake Patience Road have a new bragging right: the Florida Department of Education awarded the Land O' Lakes campus an A rating.

The grade puts Oakstead among 18 Pasco County schools that earned a new A this cycle, according to the district's July 2 announcement. It also lands during a banner year for the district, which received its own A rating, a result Pasco County Schools called "historic."

Principal Clare Ennis leads the pre-K-5 campus at 19925 Lake Patience Road. The school served approximately 1,045 students during the 2024-25 year at a 16-to-1 student-teacher ratio, according to Public School Review. In the most recent publicly available state data from 2023, Oakstead's math proficiency rate was 68%, compared with 52% statewide.

In a post on the school's website Tuesday, July 14, the school credited families, the PTA, community members, staff and teachers for the achievement.

District-wide turnaround

Pasco County Schools reduced the number of campuses under state Bureau of School Improvement oversight from eight to zero, the district said. For the first time since 2004, every school in the county earned at least a C.

Superintendent John Legg said in the district's July 2 release that the A rating and the elimination of BSI oversight "are the result of strong systems, support, and commitment that exist throughout our schools."

Thirty-one schools improved by at least one letter grade. Three jumped from a D all the way to an A: New River Elementary, Gulf Middle and Gulfside Elementary.

What's next for Oakstead families

Meet the Teacher Day for elementary students is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 10, according to the district's published calendar. The first day of school for the 2026-27 year is Thursday, Aug. 13.

The next Pasco County School Board meeting is Tuesday, July 21, at 9:30 a.m. at the district's Land O' Lakes headquarters. Families can reach Oakstead Elementary at 813-346-1500.