Pasco County Schools earned its first "A" district grade since 2009, the Florida Department of Education announced Thursday, July 2, capping what Superintendent Dr. John Legg called a team effort to prioritize student learning across the district headquartered in Land O' Lakes.
For families at Sunlake High, Land O' Lakes High, and dozens of neighborhood elementary and middle schools, the milestone comes with a second achievement: for the first time since 2004, every campus in the district rates C or better. A year ago, eight schools were under state Bureau of School Improvement oversight. All eight improved enough to exit.
"I'm very proud to say that in Pasco County this year we do not have a single 'D' or 'F' school," Legg told Tampa Bay 28 anchor Deiah Riley on Friday, July 31. "All of our schools are rated 'C' or better, and really that blueprint is a blueprint of focusing on students, focusing on learning, removing distraction, supporting our principals to make those academic decisions they need to make for that unique community."
Sunlake High in Land O' Lakes earned its third consecutive A, posting the highest point total among all traditional high schools in the district, according to the school.
Districtwide, 31 schools improved by at least one letter grade and 18 earned new A ratings. Gulf Middle, New River Elementary, and Gulfside Elementary each jumped from D to A. Chester W. Taylor Elementary moved from F to C.
What drove the turnaround
Legg credited a strategy built on phonics and math fundamentals in elementary grades, acceleration programs in middle school, and career and technical education pathways in high school. The district also restarted truancy court mid-year after identifying more than 500 students who had missed over 50 days in a 90-day period.
"You can't achieve if you're not coming to school," Legg said. The program, which had not existed in Pasco County for about two decades, brings parents before local judges who issue community service and support requirements.
Teacher vacancies also shrank dramatically. Three years ago, the district opened with nearly 350 unfilled positions. A voter-approved referendum helped drive that number to near-zero last year. As of Friday, July 31, about 30 to 40 vacancies remain before the Thursday, August 13 first day of school.
Work still ahead
Legg identified math and upper-level science as the district's top priorities for improvement. Pasco also has 28 elementary schools on Florida's RAISE reading support list, where half or more of students in at least one grade scored below Level 3 on state language arts exams, according to a Yahoo News analysis.
The district climbed 15.15 spots in the state rankings this year. Legg said another 15-rank jump would put Pasco in the top 10 statewide.
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, whose district includes Land O' Lakes, congratulated the district on X, calling the A rating a reflection of "the outstanding team at Pasco Schools led by Superintendent John Legg and the forward-thinking School Board Members."
What's next
- Thursday, August 13: First day of school for Pasco County's 86,000-plus students
- Tuesday, August 18: Primary election for three School Board seats, including District 1, which covers parts of Land O' Lakes
