At the June 2 school board meeting, Pasco District Schools presented statistics showing its best academic performance in years. Deputy Superintendent Monica Ilse reported that 29 district schools improved their letter grade, while only five saw decreases: Cox Elementary, Denham Oaks Elementary, Hudson High, Pasco eSchool, and Shady Hills Elementary.
Forty-seven percent of schools in the district were “A” schools, up from 31% a year ago. Superintendent John Legg highlighted that Pasco is now rated an “A” district for the first time since 2008 and had no “D” or “F” schools for the first time since 2004. He also noted three schools , Gulf Middle School, New River Elementary School, and Gulfside Elementary School , improved from a “D” to an “A” rating, a feat he claimed no school in Florida has ever achieved. Board chair Colleen Beaudoin attributed the positive trends to decreased teacher vacancies made possible by the 1-mill property tax increase Pasco County voters passed in 2022 to increase teacher salaries.
“Today, we are seeing the results of that investment,” said Beaudoin. According to Beaudoin, the district started the most recent school year with 55 teacher vacancies, down from 314 the year before the referendum passed. She added that “the work is not finished,” and encouraged voters to renew the referendum this November. Pasco students’ proficiency in various subjects was also measured against students in other counties across Florida. The district showed gains across every subject, and now stands at or above the state average in nearly every social studies, science and ELA course and grade level.
The one area where Pasco students still lag behind the state average is math, with five grade levels and geometry students below the benchmark. However, students still posted gains, with 4th-grade math proficiency improving 13 points from last year. “We want to recognize the hard work of our students, teachers, and staff,” said Legg.
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
