Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward County School Districts received top marks from the Florida Department of Education.
The Florida Department of Education announced the 2024 school grades on Wednesday, showing overall improvement across South Florida.
The School District of Palm Beach County regained its “A” rating, according to the new data released. This jump comes after dropping to a “B” last year for the first time since 2018.
“Today’s announcement underscores the dedication of Palm Beach County’s families, teachers, administrators, support staff, and community members to educating, affirming and inspiring our students,” Superintendent Michael Burke said. “I’m especially proud of our students who put in the hard work to achieve this coveted ‘A’ rating. With the highest graduation rate among Florida’s largest urban school districts and an ‘A’ rating, Palm Beach County schools remain ‘Your Best Choice’ for students and families in Palm Beach County.”
BCPS rating
Broward County earned an “A” grade for the first time since 2011. School officials celebrated the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday.
“The Florida Department of Education released school grades and announced that Broward County Public Schools made the grade. We are officially an A-rated school district. Woohoo!” said Broward County School Board Vice Chair Debbie Hixon.
“This ‘A’ rating is not just a win for our schools, but it’s also a triumph for our entire community,” said Broward County Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn. He also highlighted that the district has no “D” or “F” schools for the first time since 1999.
“As you can see from the smile, this is probably one of the happiest and proudest days in my time at Broward County Public Schools,” said Hepburn. “Together, we’ve proven through aspirations, achievement, and excellence, and definitely tough times, over the years that we can do it. And we did it, and we’re going to continue to do it year after year.”
Hepburn thanked everyone who contributed to this achievement, including the nearly 260,000 students attending the district’s public schools. “Thanks to our students and our families. They really took charge of their kids’ education. Our students took charge of their own education,” he added.
MDPS rating
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade secured an “A” grade for the fifth consecutive year.
“For the fifth year in a row, we are an A-rated school district,” said Miami-Dade Superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres. “This shows us a consistent track record of excellence in our school district due to the incredible work of our teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and support staff.”
With school starting soon, all districts aim to maintain their momentum and “A” ratings next year.
Florida’s charter schools also performed well, with 69% of the 602 graded charter schools receiving an “A” or “B.”
The updated school grading scale, approved by the State Board of Education, includes annual learning gains in English, Language Arts, and Mathematics.
Click here for a full list of school-by-school grades.
