The School District of Palm Beach County Packet Summary — 2026-08-17
Meeting: Academic Advisory Committee - Aug 17 2026
Scheduled time: 5:45–7:15 p.m.
Location: Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center, 3300 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, Florida
The Academic Advisory Committee is scheduled to open its 2026–2027 work with officer elections, proposed meeting dates, a policy review, academic results, district updates, future meeting topics, and the book-ordering process. The packet also presents changes affecting grading, graduation requirements, athletics, exceptional student education services, enrollment initiatives, and the district’s November 2026 millage referendum.
Key Items on the Agenda
Committee Organization and Governance
The committee is scheduled to consider approval of its April 13, 2026 minutes. The agenda also includes:
- Election of committee officers.
- Approval of proposed meeting dates.
- Review of Policy 1.09.
- Questions and answers with the chairperson.
- A next meeting scheduled for September 14, 2026.
The packet does not identify nominees, provide the proposed meeting-date list, or state what changes—if any—are under consideration for Policy 1.09.
Opening of the 2026–2027 School Year
Chief Academic Officer Maria Bishop and Stephanie Sunshine are scheduled to lead a 45-minute presentation covering:
- Chief Academic Officer updates.
- School Year 2026 results.
- Potential topics for fiscal year 2027 committee meetings.
- The district’s book-ordering process.
District Maintains an “A” Rating
The packet reports that the district maintained its “A” rating and that 143 district-operated schools—84%—received an “A” or “B.” It also reports:
- 38 schools improved their letter grade.
- No district-operated schools received a “D” or “F.”
- 85% of elementary schools received an “A” or “B.”
- 82% of middle and combination schools received an “A” or “B.”
- 83% of high schools received an “A” or “B.”
The share of district-operated schools rated “A” or “B” increased from 71% in School Year 2025 to 84% in School Year 2026, a 13-percentage-point increase.
Graduation and Advanced Coursework
The presentation reports a district-school graduation rate of 96.7%, described as the district’s highest to date. Ten high schools reached graduation rates of at least 99%, and seven schools reached 100%.
Among School Year 2026 seniors, 11,420 students—86%—took at least one AP, IB, AICE, or dual-enrollment course. The packet also reports that 36,713 high school students enrolled in at least one AICE course and that more than 61,000 AICE courses were completed during the year.
Early Literacy and State Comparisons
The packet reports combined kindergarten-through-grade-2 growth of 8 points in English language arts and 4 points in mathematics. It characterizes the district’s English language arts growth as the highest among large urban districts and its mathematics growth as tied for the highest.
Results presented against statewide performance are mixed. Palm Beach exceeded the state in several elementary and secondary subjects, matched the state in Grade 5 science, Grade 9 English language arts, and U.S. history, and trailed the state in Grade 4 mathematics, Grade 3 English language arts, and Grade 7 mathematics.
Student Policy and Program Changes
New GPA and Honors-Point Weighting
Students entering Grade 9 in the 2026–2027 school year or later will use Florida’s weighting system under State Board of Education Rule 6A-1.09952. Students who earned high school credit in middle school before 2026–2027 will have that weighted credit recalculated when they enter Grade 9.
Students who entered Grade 9 before 2026–2027 will remain under the district’s previous system. The most notable differences concern honors and accelerated courses; for example, an “A” in an accelerated course carries a value of 5.0 under the new scale, compared with 6.0 under the earlier district scale.
Graduation-Credit Updates
The packet identifies several changes to physical education and performing-arts credit requirements:
- Two years of marching band will satisfy both the one-credit physical education requirement and the performing-arts requirement.
- One credit in dance techniques, completed with a grade of “C” or better, may satisfy either the physical education or performing-arts requirement.
- A student with a disability may use one year of Special Olympics participation as a substitute for the physical education requirement when determined by the student’s individualized education program team.
Extracurricular and Athletics Rules
Under Senate Bill 538, qualifying home-education, charter, private-school, full-time virtual, and traditional students may participate in an extracurricular activity when their school does not offer the same activity. Participants must meet the same eligibility, conduct, and behavior standards as enrolled students. Policy 2.121 is being revised.
The athletics update states that electrocardiograms are required for all ninth-grade student-athletes and for students in grades 10–12 who were not on an active athletic roster during School Year 2026. The packet also says district employees and volunteers may not negotiate or facilitate name, image, and likeness agreements for student-athletes, and that Policy 5.60 is being revised to address fundraising.
Exceptional Student Education Services
Effective July 1, 2026, House Bill 1279 requires school districts to notify families and establish a make-up plan when an individualized education program related service is not provided as scheduled. The packet states that:
- Missed services must be communicated to the parent or guardian.
- Parents must be notified within 10 days of a missed service.
- The communication must include a plan for making up the service.
- Upon request, parents and guardians must receive access to inspect and review service logs and progress notes within 15 days of service delivery.
District Initiatives for 2026–2027
The packet introduces a new Office of Admissions and Family Experience, including a welcome center intended to assist new families, explain school-choice options, and connect families in transition with free resources. Enrollment strategies include school-specific growth initiatives, PBC FlexAcademy offerings for homeschool and state-scholarship students, expanded marketing, and recruitment across county lines.
West Riviera Elementary School’s modernization is identified as opening in August 2026. The new 64,000-square-foot building replaces former structures and includes a physical education building, covered play areas, a cafeteria, a media center, and a soundproof recording studio. West Riviera Elementary is planned to serve prekindergarten through Grade 2, while Dr. M.M. Bethune Elementary will serve grades 3–5.
The district also lists new or expanded programs for 2026–2027:
- Artificial Intelligence at Palm Beach Gardens High School.
- Biomedical Engineering and 911 Operator programs at Atlantic High School.
- Quantum AI Nexus Academy at Royal Palm Beach High School.
- Construction at Santaluces High School.
November 2026 Referendum
The presentation describes a November 3, 2026 referendum seeking continued authority for a 1.00-mill ad valorem levy. If approved by voters, the levy would begin July 1, 2027, and end automatically on June 30, 2031.
The referendum language dedicates the revenue to school safety, school police, mental-health services, arts, music, physical education, career and choice-program teachers, and improved teacher pay. The presentation describes the planned allocation as:
- 50% for teacher pay.
- 25% for career and choice teacher positions.
- 25% for mental health and school security.
The packet states that an independent committee of citizens and experts would oversee the funds. This material describes a proposal for voters; it does not indicate that the referendum has been approved.
What to Watch at the Meeting
- Who is nominated and elected to serve as committee officers.
- Which meeting dates the committee is asked to approve.
- Whether the Policy 1.09 review identifies proposed revisions or follow-up work.
- Which fiscal year 2027 topics the committee prioritizes.
- How the district explains the book-ordering process and any associated committee role.
- How district leaders interpret School Year 2026 results, including areas where performance remains below the state.
- Whether members request additional detail about the new grading system, student-service requirements, enrollment initiatives, or referendum proposal.
The official public-body source used for this packet was The School District of Palm Beach County meeting page: https://palmbeachschools-org.community.diligentoneplatform.com/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&id=2830.
The meeting-material provider is BoardDocs. Civic Translator summarized publicly available meeting materials.
