Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Chaires Elementary School

Q: Is Chaires Elementary School a good school?

Chaires Elementary School ranks 798 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

798^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 64% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Chaires Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school (PK-5) in eastern Tallahassee, FL, serving 466 students within the Leon district, and it stands out as a consistently high-performing school that achieves strong academic results with a more economically diverse student body than its top-tier neighbors.

Chaires’ greatest strength is its exceptional 5th-grade math program, where 81% of students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—a full 16 points above the district average and well ahead of many nearby schools. This performance is not a fluke, as the school has posted high 5th-grade math scores for several years. While Chaires outperforms the district in nearly every subject, it does so with 43.78% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, a higher rate than top-performing peers like Roberts Elementary (20.45%) and Buck Lake Elementary (14.8%). This makes Chaires a unique "middle-ground" option that delivers reliable, above-average academics without the socioeconomic advantages of those elite schools. The school also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (24.7%) than the district average (36.8%), though it still trails its highest-performing neighbors.

One area for attention is a persistent "4th-grade slump" in English Language Arts (ELA), where proficiency drops significantly compared to 3rd and 5th grades—only 51% of 4th graders were proficient in 2025-2026, a pattern seen for three years. Additionally, while Chaires spends $13,034 per student—more than Buck Lake ($11,252) and Roberts ($12,304)—those schools achieve even higher overall academic outcomes, suggesting room for improved efficiency. Overall, Chaires is a solid, well-run school that offers a strong math program and consistent district-beating performance, making it a compelling choice for families seeking a balanced, high-achieving environment.

466

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,034

Per pupil spending ?

43.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4774 Chaires Cross Rd
Tallahassee, FL 32317

(850) 488-5977

District: Leon

Students who attend Chaires Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Swift Creek Middle School
High:	Lincoln High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.5%

African American:

33.9%

Two or more races:

7.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Chaires Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 59th percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (67% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Florida median (64th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg61%

Florida avg62%

798^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 36%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 27Elementary Schools in the Leon

39^th of 70Leon among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	63.4	798 of 2240	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.6	809 of 2258	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	1108 of 2256	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.1	792 of 2240	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.2	814 of 2219	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.8	864 of 2247	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.0	1294 of 2182	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.9	914 of 2118	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	68.7	641 of 2112	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.9	855 of 2087	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	69.3	594 of 2064	71.2%	★★★★☆
2013	59.5	809 of 2029	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	56.6	862 of 1984	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.1	907 of 1985	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	69.5	590 of 1919	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.4	656 of 1847	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	52.7	889 of 1789	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.2	636 of 1786	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.4	573 of 1688	66.1%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math73%+9 vs state

Science63%+3 vs state

English Language Arts62%~ state avg

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Chaires Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, August 4, 2014

Chaires has been a great place for my daughter and son. My son was in the 3 yr old ESE class and the VPK class. His teachers and teachers aides were outstanding. They cared for him so much and were always willing to have discussions with me about my concerns and desires. My daughter started in the kindergarten class and had a rough time adjusting to the expectations. Her teacher couldn't have been more understanding and supportive! The teacher communicated with us regularly and helped us with strategies to help my daughter. Her teacher even went to the principal to get approval for some modifications to ease my daughter's anxiety.

My only complaint is that their afterschool provider doesn't accept kids until they are in kindergarten which caused us some scheduling headaches for 2 years. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Chaires is an awesome school. My child has been enrolled in Chaires since Kindergarten and now he is in 5th Grade. He loves it and I do to. All of the teachers that he has had has been awesome. Loved every last one of his previous teachers and I hope this year, I'll love this one too. Keep up the Great work, Chaires!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Chaires Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Chaires Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4774 Chaires Cross Rd	Tallahassee	32317	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-5977	466	32	14.5	43.8%	240 (51.5%)	158 (33.9%)	31 (6.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (7.3%)	63.4	798^th of 2240 public elementary schools	64.4%		62.6	809^th of 2258 public elementary schools	64.2%	11	66.0	51.0	73.0	74.0	66.0	81.0	63.0	$13,034	$1,291	$11,742
Buck Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Pedrick Rd	Tallahassee	32317	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 488-6133	696	46	15.2	14.8%	403 (57.9%)	99 (14.2%)	67 (9.6%)	74 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (7.6%)	77.9	429^th of 2240 public elementary schools	80.8%		76.6	483^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	78.6%	54	77.0	69.0	69.0	76.0	75.0	81.0	72.0	$11,252	$921	$10,331
Renaissance Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4351 Mahan Dr	Tallahassee	32308	Leon County	Leon	Yes	No	No	Yes	(850) 391-5259	243	16	15.1	80.2%	21 (8.6%)	179 (73.7%)	24 (9.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.0%)								(n/a)								$13,578	$289	$13,289
Apalachee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	650 Trojan Trl	Tallahassee	32311	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-7110	482	29	16.6	65.1%	24 (5.0%)	334 (69.3%)	65 (13.5%)	13 (2.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.9%)	22.9	1849^th of 2240 public elementary schools	17.5%		25.5	1772^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	21.5%	77	41.0	43.0	39.0	59.0	53.0	55.0	36.0	$13,420	$2,837	$10,584
Leon County Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual	K-8	283 Trojan Trl	Tallahassee	32311	Leon County	Leon	No	No	Yes	No	(850) 487-7100	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
W T Moore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1706 Dempsey Mayo Rd	Tallahassee	32308	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 877-6158	519	36	14.4	39.9%	173 (33.3%)	234 (45.1%)	50 (9.6%)	16 (3.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	43 (8.3%)	51.1	1111^th of 2240 public elementary schools	50.4%		56.8	954^th of 2258 public elementary schools	57.8%	157	62.0	60.0	69.0	64.0	71.0	48.0	51.0	$10,951	$845	$10,106
J Michael Conley Elementary School At Southwood	Public	PK, KG-5	2400 Orange Ave E	Tallahassee	32311	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 414-5610	693	52	13.3	38.4%	134 (19.3%)	344 (49.6%)	78 (11.3%)	88 (12.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (6.6%)	22	1877^th of 2240 public elementary schools	16.2%		31.4	1605^th of 2258 public elementary schools	28.9%	272	50.0	54.0	52.0	41.0	43.0	43.0	36.0	$11,776	$1,026	$10,750
Roberts Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5777 Pimlico Dr	Tallahassee	32309	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 488-0923	807	56	14.4	20.4%	552 (68.4%)	107 (13.3%)	99 (12.3%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.3%)	81.5	349^th of 2240 public elementary schools	84.4%		83.1	330^th of 2258 public elementary schools	85.4%	19	77.0	72.0	71.0	77.0	83.0	83.0	71.0	$12,304	$1,035	$11,269
Frank Hartsfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1414 Chowkeebin Nene	Tallahassee	32301	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-7322	353	28	12.6	67.7%	29 (8.2%)	274 (77.6%)	24 (6.8%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	16 (4.5%)	28.6	1701^st of 2240 public elementary schools	24.1%		15.5	2025^th of 2258 public elementary schools	10.3%	324	64.0	33.0	37.0	67.0	51.0	47.0	37.0	$14,104	$2,648	$11,455
Kate Sullivan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	927 Miccosukee Rd	Tallahassee	32308	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 487-1216	737	49	15.1	42.5%	225 (30.5%)	326 (44.2%)	76 (10.3%)	40 (5.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (9.2%)	48.3	1186^th of 2240 public elementary schools	47.1%		48.7	1141^st of 2258 public elementary schools	49.5%	45	57.0	59.0	56.0	63.0	69.0	52.0	60.0	$10,541	$874	$9,667

Frequently Asked Questions about Chaires Elementary School

What district is Chaires Elementary School in?

Leon

What is the racial makeup of Chaires Elementary School?

Students at Chaires Elementary School are 52% White, 34% African American, 7% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.

Is Chaires Elementary School a good school?

Chaires Elementary School ranks 798^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Chaires Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Chaires Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Swift Creek Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

How many students attend Chaires Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 466 students attended Chaires Elementary School.

Rate Chaires Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

FLFlorida Elementary School Rankings

FLFlorida District Rankings

Schools in Tallahassee, FL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Chaires Elementary School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.