Pine View School ranked among best high schools statewide, nationally

On April 30, U.S. News and World Report announced that Pine View School ranked as the No. 1 high school in Florida in its 2019 Best High Schools Rankings.

Additionally, the school landed as the No. 8 magnet high school in the country, the No. 15 overall high school in the nation and No. 23 among STEM high schools, having been reviewed among a total of 23,000 public high schools.

“I am honored and humbled to lead such an amazing school,” Pine View Principal Stephen Covert said. “Our students are continually challenging themselves to grow and stretch, and it is inspiring to see how our community cheers them on … We are proud to share the success of our students, teachers and staff and look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence in the coming years.”

In a release, Sarasota County Schools said that high schools were ranked according to the following criteria, which were changed as of this year:

1. College readiness, based on the proportions of 12th-grade students who took and passed Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate exams.
2. College curriculum breadth, based on proportions of 12th-grade students who took and passed AP and/or IB exams in multiple content areas.
3. Math and reading proficiency, based on student performance on state-required tests.
4. Math and reading performance, based on whether performance on state assessments exceeded expectations given the school's proportion of underserved students.
5. Underserved student performance.
6. Graduation rates, based on the proportion of students who entered ninth grade in 2012-2013 and graduated four years later.

Schools that ranked highest featured high graduation rates as well as exceptional student performance in tests and college-level exams.

“Pine View School is an undeniable asset to our school district,” Superintendent Todd Bowden said. “There is no other environment quite like it for academically gifted students, and we are proud that their hard work is being recognized on this scale. My sincerest gratitude to all of our stellar Pine View teachers and staff for nurturing the intellectual curiosity of their students.”