The Florida Department of Education yesterday sent out a press release bragging that school grades were higher than anticipated.
“The number of schools receiving an F was significantly lower than expected,” wrote FDOE officials. “Assuming grades had been issued to all schools in 2019-2020, Florida saw a significant reduction in F schools (from 244 projected schools to 30 schools).The number of “D” or “F” schools has declined 65% since 2015 and the number of “F” schools has declined 85% (30 schools) since 2015 (205 schools).”
Sadly, two of those 30 F schools are in Escambia County – Oakcrest Elementary and O.J. Semmes Elementary. They were C schools in 2019.
While the number of D schools decreased around the state, Escambia County saw its D schools jump from six in 2015 to eight in 2022.
The Escambia Children’s Trust should be paying attention to the neighborhoods that send their children to these schools.
The effort to make Pine Forest High School a Community Partnership school should be fast-tracked. Oakcrest and Semmes should be next.
Also, missing from the school grades is the Jackie Harris charter school run by Celestine Lewis. Hmmm.