OKEECHOBE — On July 1, Okeechobee County Schools  highlighted several positive outcomes in the 2026 statewide assessment and school grade results, including an improved school grade at South Elementary School, continued progress at multiple campuses, and overall district growth in total points earned.

As a district, Okeechobee County Schools maintained its overall grade while increasing its total points earned by 33 points and improving its percentage of total possible points by three percentage points compared to 2025. Districtwide gains were reflected in several key areas, including Grade 3 English Language Arts Achievement, English Language Arts Achievement, Mathematics Learning Gains, Science Achievement, Social Studies Achievement, Middle School Acceleration, and Graduation Rate.

“We are pleased with the progress reflected in this year’s results, and we are especially proud of the hard work of our students, teachers, school leaders, and support staff,” said Superintendent Dylan Tedders. “These results show that focused instruction, strong relationships, and a commitment to continuous improvement are making a difference across our schools.”

One of the year’s strongest highlights was South Elementary School, which improved from a C to a B.  South Elementary increased its total points earned by 43 points and improved its percentage of total possible points by five percentage points. The school showed especially strong growth in English Language Arts Achievement, English Language Arts Learning Gains, English Language Arts Learning Gains of the Lowest 25%, and Science Achievement.

Several other schools also demonstrated meaningful progress. Osceola Middle School increased its total points earned by 63 points and improved its percentage of total possible points by seven percentage points. The school was just one point away from earning a B. The District is considering a possible appeal of Osceola Middle School’s grade after a preliminary review identified potential discrepancies between the data calculated at the school site and the data reported by the Florida Department of Education.

Yearling Middle School also showed notable growth, increasing its total points earned by 44 points and improving its percentage of total possible points by five percentage points. The school posted gains in several areas, including Mathematics Achievement, Mathematics Learning Gains, Social Studies Achievement, and Middle School Acceleration.

Seminole Elementary School and Everglades Elementary School both maintained their prior-year grades while increasing their total points earned and improving their percentage of total possible points. Central Elementary School also held steady overall while increasing its total points earned and showing a significant gain in English Language Arts Learning Gains among the Lowest 25%. Okeechobee High School likewise maintained its prior-year grade while showing improvement in several components, including English Language Arts Achievement, English Language Arts Learning Gains, Science Achievement, and Graduation Rate.

While North Elementary School’s grade declined this year, the District anticipated the possibility of this decline and has already developed an intensive and robust improvement plan for the 2026-27 school year. The plan includes increased district support, focused instructional coaching, regular progress monitoring, targeted student interventions, data-driven planning, and additional support for school leadership and classroom instruction.

“We recognize the areas where improvement is needed, and we are already taking action,” Tedders said. “North Elementary has dedicated educators and tremendous students. Our responsibility is to ensure that they have the support, resources, and systems needed to improve performance in the coming year. We have already taken steps to ensure this takes place.”

Okeechobee County Schools remains committed to ensuring success for all its students. The District will continue working closely with school leaders, teachers, families, and community partners to build on areas of growth and provide targeted support where improvement is needed.