Summary:
The eight public schools in Live Oak, Florida, serve approximately 4,493 students within the Suwannee County School District, which is ranked 49th out of 70 districts in the state and faces significant challenges with chronic absenteeism.
For parents, the standout school is Suwannee Springcrest Elementary, which consistently earns a 3-star rating and outperforms both the district and state averages in Math and English Language Arts, despite having a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students. In contrast, Suwannee Opportunity School faces the most challenges, with the highest chronic absenteeism rate (58.7%) and the lowest test scores, including 0% proficiency in 8th Grade Science. Suwannee Virtual School is a unique option with a very low chronic absenteeism rate (2.8%), the lowest per-student spending ($7,992), and a perfect 100% graduation rate, though its test scores are generally below district and state averages. Suwannee Middle School shows a puzzling inconsistency, excelling in 7th-grade Math and Algebra 1 but struggling significantly in 8th-grade Math. Suwannee High School has pockets of strength, particularly in Biology 1 (80% proficiency), but its overall ELA and Algebra 1 scores are below state averages.
A key takeaway is the strong link between attendance and academic success across the district. The district-wide chronic absenteeism rate of 46.0% is far above the state average of 31.4%, and schools with lower absenteeism, like Springcrest Elementary, tend to perform better academically. Per-student spending varies widely, from $7,992 at the Virtual School to $10,950 at Suwannee Pineview Elementary, and student-teacher ratios are generally high, with the high school having the largest class sizes at 24.4:1. Overall, while the district has significant hurdles, there are clear bright spots and unique options for families to consider.
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