Eight of Wellington's 11 traditional public schools made Florida's 2026 Schools of Excellence list, from Binks Forest Elementary to Wellington Community High.
Eight Wellington public schools have been named 2026 Schools of Excellence by the Florida Department of Education. That is eight of the 11 traditional public schools in the village.
The School District of Palm Beach County announced its 45 honored schools Wednesday in a news release. The Wellington schools on the list are:
- Binks Forest Elementary, on Bent Creek Road
- Elbridge Gale Elementary, on Royal Fern Drive
- Equestrian Trails Elementary, on Stribling Way
- Panther Run Elementary, on Lake Worth Road
- Emerald Cove Middle, on Stribling Way
- Polo Park Middle, on Lake Worth Road
- Wellington Landings Middle, on Aero Club Drive
- Wellington Community High, on Greenview Shores Boulevard
Every middle school in the village made the list. So did four of its six district elementary schools and one of its two high schools.
Panther Run has a Lake Worth mailing address, but the campus is inside the village, according to Palm Beach County’s municipal boundary map.
What the title means
The designation is for sustained results, not one good year. A school qualifies by ranking in the 80th percentile or higher among similar schools statewide in at least two of the last three school years, the district said. Elementary, middle, high and combination schools are ranked separately.
“Achieving success for one year is worth celebrating, but sustaining it year after year is a remarkable accomplishment,” Superintendent Mike Burke said in the release.
How the eight did on this year’s grades
All eight earned an A in the state’s 2026 school grades, and all eight also earned an A in 2025 and 2024. That is according to the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file.
| School | 2026 grade | Share of points | Students on grade level, English | Students on grade level, math |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binks Forest Elementary | A | 81% | 92% | 88% |
| Panther Run Elementary | A | 79% | 85% | 91% |
| Equestrian Trails Elementary | A | 78% | 87% | 88% |
| Elbridge Gale Elementary | A | 73% | 80% | 79% |
| Wellington Community High | A | 72% | 74% | 67% |
| Polo Park Middle | A | 72% | 78% | 78% |
| Wellington Landings Middle | A | 72% | 77% | 78% |
| Emerald Cove Middle | A | 71% | 73% | 77% |
An A takes 62% of the possible points for an elementary school, 64% for a middle school and 65% for a high school, the state’s file shows.
The three that did not make it
Three district schools in Wellington are not on this year’s list:
- Wellington Elementary earned an A, with 67% of points.
- Palm Beach Central High earned an A, with 68% of points.
- New Horizons Elementary earned a B, with 59% of points.
A school can earn an A and still miss the list, because the title depends on how a school ranks against similar schools across the state, not on its letter grade.
What it means for you
- To find your zoned school, each school page linked above lists its attendance zone. Our Wellington public schools guide covers all 14 public schools in the village, including the three charter schools.
- To apply to a school outside your zone, students can apply to any district school with open seats, the district said. Call the Office of Admissions and Family Experience at 561-434-8197 or email admissions@palmbeachschools.org.
- On the Nov. 3 ballot, voters decide whether to continue the district’s 1-mill property tax for schools. The district’s release says the levy pays for teacher salary supplements averaging $8,000 a year and 900 teacher positions. Our voting guide explains the question and how to vote.
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