2013 School Grades: 51 Pinellas Schools Drop

The grades are in for elementary and middle schools in Pinellas County and across Florida.

The Florida Department of Education on Friday released statewide FCAT school grades for 2013.

(LINK: Find your school's grade here)

This is the second straight year the State Board of Education has altered the grading system with tougher standards. This year officials also implemented a "safety net" that prevents any school from dropping more than one letter grade.

In Pinellas, 51 schools saw their grades drop. Only four saw improvements.

Statewide, about 53 percent of schools earned lower gradesthan a year ago, state education commissioner Tony Bennett told the Tampa Bay Times. About 550 schools in Florida and 22 in Pinellas County benefited from the safety net and otherwise would have otherwise had lower grades.

Eleven Pinellas schools received Fs: Azalea Middle School, Belleair Elementary, Campbell Park Elementary, Dunedin Elementary, Eisenhower Elementary, Fairmount Park Elementary, Maximo Elementary, Melrose Elementary, Pinellas Park Elementary, Imagine Charter School and Imagine Middle School.

See full details on how local schools fared in the preliminary grades posted on the Florida Department of Education website.

What do you think of the school grades and how they're compiled by the state? Post a comment below.