11 Emerald Coast A schools scored below Florida’s higher 2027 grading bar
Eleven public schools in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Bay counties earned an A in Florida’s 2026 school grades with fewer points than the state will require for an A next year. For 2027 grades, elementary and middle schools will need 65% of possible points for an A and high schools 70%, according to the Florida Department of Education’s grading scale overview, dated Sept. 8, 2026. In 2026, the bar was 62% for elementary schools, 64% for middle schools and 65% for high schools.
None of Walton County‘s 11 A-rated elementary, middle and high schools fell below the 2027 bar. The figures come from the state’s 2026 school grades file, compared by this newsroom with the 2027 scale.
| School type | A in 2026 | A in 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | 62% | 65% |
| Middle | 64% | 65% |
| High | 65% | 70% |
Why is Florida raising the bar?
Florida raises a grading scale when 75% or more of the schools of that type earn an A or B, according to the FLDOE overview. For 2026 grades, the state already raised the bar for high schools, combination schools and districts: an A went from 64% to 65% and a B from 57% to 60%. Elementary and middle school scales did not change in 2026. For 2027, the A bar rises to 65% for elementary and middle schools and to 70% for high schools.
The overview gives the 2027 A threshold but not every cut-off below it, so this story looks only at A schools.
Which Emerald Coast A schools scored below the 2027 bar?
| School | County | Type | 2026 points | 2027 A bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside Elementary | Okaloosa | Elementary | 62% | 65% |
| Eglin Elementary | Okaloosa | Elementary | 63% | 65% |
| Northwood Elementary | Okaloosa | Elementary | 63% | 65% |
| Max Bruner Jr. Middle | Okaloosa | Middle | 64% | 65% |
| Pace High | Santa Rosa | High | 67% | 70% |
| Navarre High | Santa Rosa | High | 68% | 70% |
| Bay Haven Charter Academy | Bay | Elementary | 62% | 65% |
| Hutchison Beach Elementary | Bay | Elementary | 63% | 65% |
| West Bay Elementary | Bay | Elementary | 64% | 65% |
| A. Crawford Mosley High | Bay | High | 66% | 70% |
| AMIkids Maritime Academy | Bay | High | 69% | 70% |
Source: FLDOE, 2026 school grades (SchoolGrades26) and Grading Scale Changes Overview, Sept. 8, 2026.
This does not mean these schools will drop to a B. A school’s points change every year with new test results and learning gains. It means each one needs more points in 2026-27 than it earned in 2025-26 to keep the same letter.
How many A schools does each county have?
Counting elementary, middle and high schools only, Okaloosa has 18 A schools, Walton 11, Bay 12 and Santa Rosa 10 in the 2026 grades. Okaloosa has four A schools under the 2027 bar, Santa Rosa two, Bay five and Walton none.
Combination schools, such as K-8 and K-12 schools, are not included in this count.
All four districts kept strong district grades in 2026: Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa earned an A and Bay earned a B, per FLDOE.
What do the points measure?
Florida grades every public school A to F from the percent of possible points it earns on state tests, learning gains and, in high schools, graduation and college and career acceleration. Each type of school has its own scale, so the same percent can mean different grades. In 2026, Baker School, a K-12 school in Okaloosa County, earned 64% and a B, because combination schools needed 65% for an A, while Eglin Elementary’s 63% was an A.
What can parents do with this?
- Look up your school’s 2026 grade and points in the state file or on the district’s website.
- Ask your school how it is preparing for the 2027 scale.
- Compare schools only with others of the same type. A 64% elementary school and a 64% high school are measured on different scales.
Questions about a school’s grade go to the school or the district: Okaloosa County School District, Walton County School District, Santa Rosa County District Schools and Bay District Schools. The state’s school grades page is on the Florida Department of Education website.
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Questions and answers
- What percent do Florida schools need for an A in 2027?
- 65% of possible points for elementary and middle schools and 70% for high schools, according to the Florida Department of Education's Grading Scale Changes Overview of Sept. 8, 2026. In 2026 the bar was 62%, 64% and 65%.
- Which Okaloosa County A schools scored below the 2027 bar?
- Riverside Elementary (62%), Eglin Elementary (63%), Northwood Elementary (63%) and Max Bruner Jr. Middle (64%), based on FLDOE's 2026 school grades.
- Will these schools lose their A?
- Not necessarily. Points change every year with new test results and learning gains. Each school needs more points in 2026-27 than it earned in 2025-26 to keep an A under the 2027 scale.
- Why does Florida raise the school grading scale?
- The state raises a scale when 75% or more of the schools of that type earn an A or B, per FLDOE's grading scale overview.