Catalina Elementary

Catalina Elementary in Orlando, FL, is a public school serving 588 students in grades PK-5 within the Orange district, and it has recently made headlines for a dramatic academic turnaround after years of struggling in the bottom 10-20% of Florida elementary schools.

For the 2025-2026 school year, Catalina jumped from the 12th to the 40th percentile, achieving its highest ranking in over a decade. This explosive growth is broad-based: 5th grade science proficiency soared from 35% to 61%, now exceeding the state average, while 3rd grade ELA jumped from 32% to 58%, nearly matching it. These gains far outpace nearby schools like Rock Lake Elementary or Orange Center Elementary. Interestingly, Catalina now competes with the high-performing Blankner K-8 in 3rd and 5th grade scores, despite serving a student body where about 70% qualify for free or reduced lunch—a much higher rate than Blankner's 26%. The school also outperforms peers like Washington Shores Elementary in key subjects, even with a lower spending per student ($13,123 vs. $16,882).

However, a major challenge remains: chronic absenteeism. At 41.1% in 2023-2024, it is far worse than the state average (31.4%) and much higher than Blankner's 17.6%. This creates a paradox—the school's academic success is happening despite many students missing class regularly. If Catalina can tackle attendance, its performance could improve even further. The key question is whether this is a one-time spike or the start of a sustained upward trend, but for now, the school is a standout turnaround story in the area.