Sarasota County Schools district earns 23rd straight A rating

Sarasota County Schools are celebrating high scores from the Florida Department of Education's latest school grades, with the district receiving its 23rd consecutive A overall rating.

Each year, the Florida Department of Education releases school letter grades on a 100-point scale for each Florida public school. The grades evaluate student achievement based on statewide assessments, graduation rates and college and career acceleration.

All district-managed Sarasota schools received an A or B grade. Over the last three academic years, the county has seen an increase of 24 A schools to 35, with a decrease from eight B schools to five and from six C schools to zero.

"These results reflect an extraordinary level of commitment across our district, and we are incredibly proud of the hard work behind them," Superintendent of Sarasota County Schools Terry Connor said in a press release.

"Reaching milestones like 100% of our schools earning an ‘A' or ‘B,' schools earning ‘A' grades for the first time, and historic gains at so many campuses speaks to what is possible when our teachers, leaders, staff, students, and families work together with a shared focus on success. This is a moment to celebrate and to continue building on."

All district-managed middle schools received an A rating in 2026.

Emma E. Booker Elementary School and Booker Middle School earned an A grade for the first time since the creation of the school grade system in 1999.

The two schools are two of 14 district-managed schools that improved a letter grade during the 2025-2026 academic year, with no schools dropping a letter grade. 22 schools maintained their A grades from the previous year.

Sarasota County Schools also saw a 32-point increase in its overall score within the state's accountability system compared to the 2024-2025 academic year, bringing meaningful academic additions.

The full list of district-managed schools' grades can be found here.

Michaela Galligan is an intern covering a variety of topics for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. She can be reached at MGalligan@usatodayco.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County Schools district earns 23rd straight A rating

Reporting by Michaela Galligan, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 3:59 PM.