Even as it faces tightening budgets and rising costs, St. Johns County’s public schools continue to rank among the state’s top-performing systems, according to a new report analyzing testing data.
The district is one of only two in Florida to earn an “A” grade every year since the state began assigning district grades in 2004.
Last school year, St. Johns posted 37 “A” schools and seven “B” schools, and statewide comparisons on core academic metrics underscore the district’s strength.
St. Johns County’s average SAT scores of 1,137 far exceed Florida’s 970.
On the ACT, St. Johns County students averaged a 21.4, topping the state average (19.6) and the national average (19.4), according to the district’s analysis.”
On Advanced Placement exams, St. Johns County posted an 81.4% AP pass rate, outperforming the national average of 71.5%, according to the district’s analysis.
The report also highlights “PM2,” the winter checkpoint for Florida’s FAST assessments, which track student progress in reading and math throughout the school year.
Officials noted that early-year FAST tests sample standards students may not have fully learned by PM2, so results are considered preliminary.
Still, St. Johns County ranks at or near the top statewide. On PM2 reading, the district claimed No. 1 rankings in most tested grades, including 3-5 and 8-10.
Math performance was similarly strong, though grade 7 lagged, ranking 28th statewide.
The district also outpaced Florida by double digits. In grades K-6, 63% of students scored Level 3 or higher in reading, compared with 45% statewide; in math, 49% met that proficiency benchmark versus 37% statewide.
Year-over-year, reading improved in every grade except grade 3, which held steady. Math gains were mixed, with slight declines in grades 4, 5, and 8.
“At the SJCSD, we remain committed to data-informed instruction and putting Students First every day,” the district wrote in a Facebook post accompanying the new numbers.
