Pasco Schools Earn an 'A' — and No D or F School for the First Time Since 2004

Pasco County Schools earned an 'A' district grade from the Florida Department of Education for 2026, climbing up from a 'B' the year before — and for the first time since 2004, not a single school in the district was rated D or F. Every one of the district's campuses landed at a C or higher, a milestone that lands just as families prepare for the new school year beginning Aug. 13.

The state's grading formula was made noticeably tougher this year, which makes the jump more notable. Superintendent Dr. John Legg said the result reflects the dedication of the district's teachers, support staff, administrators, students, and families, according to statements shared by the district and local media outlets.

What changed

The clearest sign of progress is at the bottom of the scale. Last year the district had schools under the state's Bureau of School Improvement (BSI) oversight; district officials said that number was on track to fall from eight to zero if the state finalized the projections. The improvement was credited to targeted investments, strategic interventions, and expanded support programs across campuses.

Several individual schools posted dramatic turnarounds. According to district figures reported locally, three campuses were projected to leap from a D straight to an A:

• New River Elementary School
• Gulf Middle School
• Gulfside Elementary School

Chester W. Taylor Elementary School, meanwhile, was on track to move up to a C after previously earning an F.

How Pasco stacks up in the region

Pasco was one of only two Tampa Bay-area districts to raise its letter grade in 2026, alongside neighboring Hillsborough County — which also went from a B to an A. Most area districts held steady, while one dropped a grade.

District	2026 Grade
Pasco County	A (up from B)
Hillsborough County	A (up from B)
Pinellas County	A
Hernando County	B
Polk County	B
Hardee County	C (down from B)

The statewide picture

Florida grades schools each year on up to 12 components, including achievement in English, math, science and social studies, year-over-year test-score improvement, graduation rates, and performance on advanced coursework such as AP, IB and AICE exams, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Statewide, 51% of schools earned an A in 2026, 26% earned a B and 23% earned a C. Just 1% received a D, and fewer than 1% — seven schools in the entire state — received an F. Across Florida, only 31 schools earned a D or F this year, down sharply from 70 the year before.

What it means for families

For Pasco parents, the headline is straightforward: as of the 2026 grades, there is no D- or F-rated public school in the county for the first time in more than 20 years. Families can look up the specific grade for their child's individual school through the Florida Department of Education, and the district's own school-grades information is posted on the Pasco County Schools website.

Officials cautioned that the tougher grading formula makes holding these gains harder in future years, but for now the district is marking a rare clean sweep of passing grades heading into the fall.

You can find the district's official grade information at pasco.k12.fl.us.

For more local coverage, visit Pasco County Community Website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Have thoughts on your neighborhood school's grade? Join the conversation in our Community Forum, and read more education stories and community news from around the county.