Riverbend Academy

Riverbend Academy is an alternative public school located in Tequesta, Florida, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 46 students. As part of the Martin District, which is ranked 33 out of 67 districts in Florida and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, Riverbend Academy stands out for its unique approach to education.

While Riverbend Academy boasts consistently high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 87.3% to 92.0% over the past few years, its test scores are significantly lower than the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school had 0% proficiency in Algebra 1, 20% in US History, and 17% in 8th grade Science, compared to the state and district averages of around 60-75% proficiency. Additionally, Riverbend Academy has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 25.2% to 31.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. Interestingly, the school has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 3.53% to 3.8% over the past few years, and a very low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 4 to 8.7 students per teacher, which is significantly lower than the state and district averages.

When compared to the nearby Treasure Coast Classical Academy, a public charter school in the same district, Riverbend Academy's performance is significantly lower, with much higher test scores, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism rates at Treasure Coast Classical Academy. While Riverbend Academy's unique characteristics and high spending per student (ranging from $14,385 to $23,423 over the past few years) suggest that the school may be addressing the specific needs of its alternative student population, there are opportunities for the school to improve its academic performance and student outcomes to better align with state and district averages.