Manatee County posts highest accountability points to date; state 'escalator clause' will raise cutoffs next year

Manatee County school leaders told the School Board on July 22 that district and school letter grades released by the Florida Department of Education show the district earned its highest total points since the current accountability system began, but state statutory thresholds will become harder next year for some school types.

Acting designee to the superintendent Adam Jensen said the Florida Department of Education released school and district grades in mid‑July. He told trustees the district earned 744 out of 1,200 possible district points for the 2024–25 school year and reached the highest number of “A” schools in recent accountability history: 25 A schools across the district.

Why it matters: The board’s discussion focused both on progress — reductions in D/F schools and gains by Title I schools — and on a lawmakers’ mechanism that raises grade cutoffs if a large share of schools in a category (for example, high schools) earns A or B grades.

Jensen and other staff walked the board through the state grading buckets and explained a statutory “escalator clause” that takes effect when 75% or more of schools in a category earn an A or a B. For the 2025–26 school year the state triggered the escalator for high schools (82% A/B this year) and for combination (K–8) schools (77% A/B). As a result, the A cutoff for high and combination schools will increase to the next 5‑ or 10‑point interval in the state formula (for example, a high‑school A threshold moving from 64 to 65), and the district grading scale will shift accordingly.

Jensen noted the district’s count of A schools, fewer D schools (two D schools this cycle), and specific school gains: Abel Elementary sustained an A at Title I, Palmetto Elementary earned its first B in nearly 20 years, King Middle rose to a B, and both Lincoln Memorial Middle and Bayshore High improved enough to exit turnaround status.

Board members asked technical questions about categories such as middle‑school acceleration, which counts accelerated high‑level coursework earned by eligible middle‑grade students (most commonly Algebra I or Geometry and industry certifications). Jensen explained acceleration contributes to math proficiency and multiple accountability buckets, and that while accelerated students may reduce some high‑school math points (because advanced math was completed earlier), the district views acceleration as the right instruction for students.

Trustee concerns focused on fairness of the state approach. Board member Miss Felton criticized the escalator approach as “moving the finish line,” saying it can penalize districts that overall raise student achievement. Other board members framed it as a challenge to accelerate improvement further and identified priorities for the coming year: literacy (K–3 phonics), third‑grade reading, lower‑quartile learning gains, and increasing college/career acceleration participation.

Ending: Staff said they will present additional breakdowns (for example, the percent of seniors completing college/career acceleration opportunities) and will carry school improvement plans into the new year, noting the escalator changes when measuring targets for 2025–26.