CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — The Pinellas County School district is in celebration mode with everything from ‘A’ grades to new schools to a homecoming almost a year in the making.

The buzz around Clearwater High School this morning, they earned an ‘A’ grade for the first time. The district keeping their ‘A’ grade for the second year in a row.

“We’re excited, 90% of our schools all A’s & B’s and so all across the districts today we’re at schools celebrating with signs and just welcoming everybody back and hoping for another great year,” said Pinellas County School Superintendent Kevin Hendrick.

Students at Gulf Beach Magnet will have a sense of normalcy again today after Hurricane Helene displaced them nearly a year ago. Faculty tells us finally getting back into the classrooms feels like a huge homecoming. One with a nod to their resiliency.

“This ruler was the lone survivor of building 22, room 1 of Hurricane Helene. So I think we’re going to mount it. I think we’re going to put it in a really great place because this is all we have from that original classroom,” said gifted educator Jennifer Kelly.

That first of school excitement truly spanned across the district today.

“Be open to possibilities this year and then be ready to buckle down and learn. This is the first of 180 days and so we have to make this one count as well, but mostly this first day we want to make sure everybody has fun,” said Hendrick.