Bonneville Elementary

Bonneville Elementary in Orlando, FL, is a mid-sized school serving 375 students in the Orange district, where 62.4% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high level of economic need. Despite spending significantly more per student ($19,687) than nearby schools like Columbia Elementary ($11,984) and Sunrise Elementary ($15,359), and having the lowest student-to-teacher ratio (11.7:1) in the area, Bonneville has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Florida elementary schools, earning a 2-star rating and a state percentile rank around the 39th.

The most critical issue is an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 39%, which is far above the state average of 31.4% and much higher than most neighboring schools, such as Camelot Elementary (16.3%) and Waterford Elementary (33.1%). This absenteeism crisis undermines the school's substantial investments in smaller classes and higher spending, as students who are not in school cannot benefit from these resources. Academic performance is consistently below district and state averages, with math being a particular weakness—only 56% of 3rd-5th graders were proficient in math, compared to 66% district-wide.

There is a glimmer of hope in 5th-grade science, where 64% of students were proficient, exceeding both the district (62%) and state (55%) averages, suggesting a strong science program that could be replicated in other subjects. However, while many nearby schools like Sunrise Elementary and Columbia Elementary have improved their performance over time, Bonneville has stagnated, widening the gap. Addressing the chronic absenteeism problem is the single most important step for improving student outcomes at this school.