Florida Names Five Parkland Schools as Schools of Excellence
The state honor recognizes local schools for sustained high academic performance during the 2025-26 school year.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Florida State Board of Education has recognized five Parkland schools as Schools of Excellence for the 2025-26 school year. These institutions were among 50 Broward County Public Schools to receive the designation for sustained academic success.
Why it matters
This state recognition highlights schools that have maintained high academic performance over multiple years. The designation provides these institutions with greater operational flexibility and access to new funding opportunities.
To qualify, schools must rank at or above the 80th percentile within their grade-level groups for two of the previous three school years. The total list of 50 recognized Broward County schools includes 32 elementary, 4 middle, and 9 high schools.
The players
Florida State Board of Education
This state-level government entity oversees public education policy and manages the designation of high-performing schools in Florida.
Broward County Public Schools
This is the sixth-largest public school district in the United States and serves the students and families located within Broward County.
The details
The designated Parkland schools include Heron Heights Elementary School, Park Trails Elementary School, Riverglades Elementary School, Westglades Middle School, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This honor acknowledges consistent achievement rather than a single year of high test scores.
Timeline
The designation applies to the 2025-26 school year.
Culture Shift
This state initiative marks a shift toward rewarding long-term institutional consistency rather than short-term spikes in student achievement. It encourages schools to maintain high academic standards as part of the formal Florida Schools of Excellence program.
Families with students at these designated schools may see changes in instructional programming and increased resources available in their classrooms. These adjustments are intended to support the ongoing high academic performance that earned the schools their state status.
The takeaway
The recognition of these 50 schools underscores the state priority of rewarding long-term consistency over individual test results. Parents can use this data as a benchmark for evaluating the sustained performance of local educational institutions.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Secondary Education across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Parkland Talk.
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