Florida’s 2026 school grades are officially here, and all but one Tampa Bay-area school district maintained or improved their scores.

Each year, Florida education officials grade schools throughout the state to help measure their performance and understand how well they’re serving students.

Schools receive a grade of A, B, C, D or F based on up to 12 components, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Those components include things like:

Achievement in English, Math, Science and Social Studies

Improvement in test scores from the prior school year

Performance on AP, IB or AICE exams

Dual-enrollment hours recorded

Armed Services Qualification Tests

When you look at the entire state, 51% of schools received an A, followed by 26% that received a B and 23% that received a C.

Just 1% of Florida schools received a D, while less than 1% (7 schools) were graded an F.

Most schools that performed poorly in 2025 showed notable improvement in 2026 — only 31 schools earned a D or F score this year, compared to 70 schools last year.

And within the Tampa Bay area, two districts improved their grades from last school year, while one district dropped a letter grade.

Here’s a look at how school districts in the Tampa Bay area performed.

Tampa Bay-area school grades 2026

Hardee County – C (down from a B in 2025)

Hillsborough County – A (up from a B in 2025)

Pasco County – A (up from a B in 2025)

You can see the grade for your individual school on the Florida Department of Education website.

Citrus County school grade

The Citrus County School District maintained its B grade and continued the trend of having no D or F schools.

In a statement made before the grades were revealed, Superintendent Dr. Scott Hebert noted that “Florida’s grading formula is significantly more demanding this year, so maintaining a ‘B’ district grade will be more difficult than in previous years.”

“What we do know is that Citrus County students moved forward this year, and that’s worth celebrating,” he added.

Hardee County school grade

The Hardee County School District’s grade dropped from a B to a C this past school year.

Within the district, two schools earned a B grade while four earned a C.

Hillsborough County school grade

Hillsborough County Schools went up from a B to an A this past school year.

“We are proud to announce that Hillsborough County Public Schools has earned an ‘A’ district grade from the Florida Department of Education for the first time in more than a decade!” the district wrote in a post. “This milestone follows a year of remarkable student achievement, reflecting all the hard work and dedication from our students, administrators, teachers, support staff, and families.”

Pasco County school grade

Pasco County Schools also went from a B to an A in 2026.

The district said that for the first time since 2004, every Pasco County school earned a grade of C or higher.

“This achievement reflects the incredible dedication of our teachers, support staff, administrators, students, and families,” Dr. John Legg, superintendent of Pasco County Schools, said. “An ‘A’ district rating and the elimination of all schools under state BSI oversight are the result of strong systems, support, and commitment that exist throughout our schools.”

Pinellas County school grade

Pinellas County Schools maintained its A grade for the third year in a row.

Within the district, 92 schools earned an A, 27 schools earned a B and 10 earned a C. There were no D or F schools within Pinellas County.

Polk County school grade

Polk County Public Schools maintained its B grade this past school year.

“Two years ago we recaptured our B grade, and we’ve continued to build upon that success,” Superintendent Fred Heid said. “It’s especially notable because the state’s academic criteria has only become more rigorous. Today’s results are clear: PCPS is on a hot streak.”

Sarasota County school grade

Sarasota County Schools earned an A for the 23rd year in a row, with 100% of schools within the district earning either an A or B for the past school year.

“Sarasota County Schools has once again earned an A district grade from the Florida Department of Education, extending our streak to 23 consecutive years as an A-rated district!” the district wrote in a post. “These achievements are a testament to the dedication of our students, teachers, staff, school leaders, families, and community. Congratulations!”

Manatee County school grade

Manatee County Schools maintained its B grade for the past school year.

Within the district, 30 schools earned an A, 17 earned a B, 17 earned a C and 1 earned an F.