BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Florida Department of Education has named 45 Palm Beach County public schools to its 2026 “School of Excellence” list, a designation reserved for schools that stay near the top of the state year after year. Several Boca Raton-area schools made the cut, including Boca Raton Community High, Spanish River Community High, West Boca Raton Community High, Addison Mizner, Calusa Elementary, Del Prado Elementary, Omni Middle and Verde K-8. Whispering Pines Elementary School in West Boca Raton is NOT on the list.
It’s a notable omission as Whispering Pines serves many of the new G.L. Homes communities, including parts of The Bridges, Seven Bridges, Boca Bridges, Lotus, and others that attracted transplants from New York and other regions during COVID. Educators privately told BocaNewsNow.com that they thought the influx of families spending well into the millions for new homes — families that demand rigorous northeast-style academic programs — would help the school’s academic standing. It apparently did not.
To qualify as a “school of excellence,” a school has to rank in the 80th percentile or higher among its peer schools statewide — elementary, middle, high or combination — in at least two of the last three school years.
One good year isn’t enough. That’s the point Superintendent Mike Burke made in announcing the list.
“Achieving success for one year is worth celebrating, but sustaining it year after year is a remarkable accomplishment,” Burke said. He credited students, families, teachers, support staff and school leaders for the consistency, and told parents they don’t need to look outside the public system or drive across the county to find a top school. “It’s right here in your neighborhood,” he said. “Congratulations to these 45 schools. You’ve set a high bar.”
The School District of Palm Beach County currently holds an “A” rating from the state and is designated an Academically High-Performing District.
Here is the complete list of the district’s 2026 Schools of Excellence:
- Addison Mizner School
- A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
- Bak Middle School of the Arts
- Beacon Cove Intermediate School
- Binks Forest Elementary School
- Blue Lake Elementary School
- Boca Raton Community High School
- Calusa Elementary School
- Christa McAuliffe Middle School
- Coral Sunset Elementary School
- Del Prado Elementary School
- Don Estridge High Tech Middle School
- Eagles Landing Middle School
- Elbridge Gale Elementary School
- Emerald Cove Middle School
- Equestrian Trails Elementary School
- Frontier Elementary School
- Hagen Road Elementary School
- Hammock Pointe Elementary School
- Independence Middle School
- Jupiter Farms Elementary School
- Jupiter Community High School
- Loggers’ Run Community Middle School
- Marsh Pointe Elementary School
- Morikami Park Elementary School
- Omni Middle School
- Palm Beach Gardens Elementary School
- Palm Beach Public School
- Palm Beach Virtual
- Panther Run Elementary School
- Pierce Hammock Elementary School
- Polo Park Middle School
- Sandpiper Shores Elementary School
- Spanish River Community High School
- Suncoast High School
- Sunrise Park Elementary School
- Sunset Palms Elementary School
- Timber Trace Elementary School
- Verde K-8
- Waters Edge Elementary School
- Wellington Community High School
- Wellington Landings Middle School
- West Boca Raton Community High School
- West Boynton Middle School
- Western Pines Community Middle School
Families aren’t limited to their zoned school. Students can attend their neighborhood school, apply to any district school with open seats, or apply to more than 330 specialized choice programs. Information is available at PalmBeachSchools.org/Enroll, or from the district’s Office of Admissions and Family Experience at admissions@palmbeachschools.org or 561-434-8197.
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