Florida Schools of Excellence: 7 Escambia schools, 6 Santa Rosa schools make the list

Florida Chancellor of Public Schools Paul Burns has released Florida's Schools of Excellence for the 2022-23 academic year, and 13 schools from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties made the list.

In a memorandum on March 29, Burns recognized 783 schools across the state with the designation, including seven from Escambia County, and six from Santa Rosa County.

Escambia County Schools of Excellence

• N. B. Cook Elementary School

• Cordova Park Elementary School

• A.K. Suter Elementary School

• Molino Park Elementary

• Pensacola Beach Elementary School

• Brown Barge Middle School

• West Florida High School

Santa Rosa County Schools of Excellence

• Gulf Breeze Elementary

• Oriole Beach Elementary

• Gulf Breeze Middle

• Holley-Navarre Middle

• Thomas L. Sims Middle

• Gulf Breeze High

How does a Florida school become a School of Excellence?

According to Florida statute, a school earns the title of School of Excellence if its percentage of possible points earned in its school grade calculation ranks in the 80th percentile or higher for schools with the same grade groupings for at least two of the last three school years, according to a statement from Santa Rosa County Schools Spokesperson Tonya Shepherd.

Santa Rosa County Schools Superintendent Karen Barber expressed her gratitude for the “remarkable dedication and hard work demonstrated by the students, teachers, staff, and administrators at each of these school sites" in a statement.

“Their unwavering commitment to educational excellence has not only elevated their schools but has also set a standard of excellence for the entire district,” Barber said.

Escambia County Superintendent Keith Leonard said that the designation is a “testament to the hard work and dedication of staff, students, parents and community stakeholders.”

“We are excited to celebrate these schools’ outstanding success,” Leonard said in a statement. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, parents and community stakeholders. Our district is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of our students, their families and this community.”

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida Schools of Excellence: 13 recognized in Escambia, Santa Rosa