Schoolchildren aren’t the only ones to get grades when the school year winds down.

School districts get graded by the state in a rigorous “A to F” grading system that measures student performance, graduation rates, college and career acceleration and overall academic progress of struggling students.

For the second year in a row, students and educators in the Glades County School District did what many thought was unimaginable in a disadvantaged and rural school district: They were named a Grade A school by the state Department of Education.

Superintendent Beth Barfield said she’s determined get an A the next year as well.

"We've been working all morning, and we're ready to gear up for next year, and go do a three peat. We'll have three A's in a row. We are very honored for the recognition, but you know what matters most is that it represents children who work very hard, and educators who refuse to settle and families who believed in our schools, and a community that is always investing in its future -- and it's important to them."

Glades could join Collier and Sarasota counties as perennially A-rated school districts. No other school district in the WGCU listening area continues to earn such high marks year-after-year. Charlotte County did make the A-ranking this year up from a B last year.

In announcing the ratings, Collier Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli wrote, "Of Florida districts, only one district larger or comparable in student population scored higher than CCPS, and no district with a comparable percentage of English Language Learners (ELL) students scored as high as CCPS.

"Of our traditional public schools, 51 of 52 (98%) CCPS schools earned an “A” or “B” rating, and none earned a grade of D or F. We are exceptionally proud of the seven schools that improved their grade to an “A” rating from last year: Eden Park Elementary, Everglades City School, Golden Gate Elementary, Herbert Cambridge Elementary, Highlands, Elementary, Lake Trafford Elementary and Village Oaks Elementary."

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Hendry, Lee and Manatee school districts remained B-rated schools and Okeechobee and DeSoto counties remained C-rated school districts.

Lee County remained a B-rated district as well.

In a news release, the School District of Lee County pointed out that it had earned its highest point total in a decade. In addition, "A total of 29 schools improved their letter grade from a year ago. Notably, no school received a 'D' or an 'F' in this year's report."

"Our exceptional growth in student achievement is a victory shared by our entire community,” said Superintendent Denise Carlin in the release. “Seeing significant gains and multiple schools that improved by two letter grades is validation of the intentional, hard work occurring in our classrooms. This is what excellence in education looks like. Thank you to our principals, teachers, and support staff for your leadership and dedication to our students’ success. This isn’t just a win for our school district; this is a win for Lee County.”

Barfield said the Glades School District will certainly celebrate its A rating when the students and teachers come back next month.

"And you know, today it's a milestone," she said. Every child in Glades County deserves nothing less than our very best, and we are so excited that that A is a representation of that hard work, and just we are so thrilled."

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