PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Preliminary school grade projections indicate a major academic shift for Pasco County Schools, highlighted by the potential removal of every single district school from state-level Bureau of School Improvement (BSI) oversight.
If the Florida Department of Education finalizes these numbers, Pasco County Schools will see its number of schools under state BSI intervention drop from eight to zero.
The initial data also reveals that, for the first time in over two decades, the district is on track to have zero schools with a D or F rating. The last time the district achieved this milestone was in 2004. According to district officials, the projected shift stems from targeted investments, strategic interventions, and expanded support systems implemented across the region’s campuses.
Even if the state finalizes the elimination of BSI oversight, local administrators plan to maintain an extra layer of assistance for vulnerable campuses through the district’s own Opportunity Schools program. Leaders emphasized that this local model will continue to serve as a fixture in Pasco’s long-term school improvement strategy.
The early projections showcase several dramatic turnarounds at individual school sites. Three specific campuses—New River Elementary School, Gulf Middle School, and Gulfside Elementary School—are projected to jump directly from a D rating up to an A rating. Additionally, Chester W. Taylor Elementary School is on track to move up to a C rating after previously receiving an F.
“Improving outcomes at this level is a testament to the incredible work of our principals, teachers, and Opportunity Schools team,” Shana Rafalski said in a statement. “Thank you to the BSI team and our partners in education for their support and collaboration as we remain relentlessly focused on expectations, systems, instruction, data, and feedback to drive transformational success. Most importantly, this work is changing opportunities and outcomes for students while showing our entire community what is possible when people stay united around a common purpose.”
District officials attributed the widespread progress to the combined efforts of local educators, support staff, students, and their families.
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