Summary:
The city of Key West, Florida, is served by 11 schools within the Monroe County School District, a 4-star district ranked in the top 30% of Florida, offering a unique K-12 landscape with no standalone middle schools and a mix of traditional public, charter, and specialized programs.
For parents, the standout academic performer is Sigsbee Charter School, a K-8 school that consistently earns a 4-star rating and posts test scores 20-30 points above district averages, with a low chronic absenteeism rate of 14.7%. In contrast, Horace O'Bryant School, the only other K-8 school and the second-largest in the city, has struggled with a 1-star rating for three years, with only 20% of 4th graders proficient in ELA. At the high school level, The College Of The Florida Keys Academy is a paradox: it earned a 5-star rating with 95% proficiency in Biology, yet its graduation rate is just 81.8%, well below the district average of 91.9%. The largest school, Key West High School, serves 1,337 students and maintains a strong graduation rate, while smaller alternative programs like Keys Center (9 students) and Lower Keys Academic Connections For Excellence (12 students) serve high-needs populations with per-student spending exceeding $39,000 but face crisis-level chronic absenteeism above 68%.
Key takeaways include a stark performance gap between charter and traditional schools, with Sigsbee Charter outperforming peers like Gerald Adams Elementary School and Poinciana Elementary School, which have free/reduced lunch rates above 60%. High spending does not guarantee success, as the most expensive schools serve the most challenging populations, while May Sands Montessori School achieves strong results with lower spending. The absence of middle schools means 6th-8th graders attend either K-8 or 6-12 schools, creating unique transitions. Overall, the district offers diverse options, but parents should carefully consider each school's specific strengths and challenges.
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