Glades Academy Inc

Glades Academy Inc is a small public K-8 school in Pahokee, FL, serving 271 students as part of the Palm Beach district, and it has experienced a dramatic transformation in recent years that makes its data complex to interpret.

The most significant change at Glades Academy is a major demographic shift: in the 2022-2023 school year, 91% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch, but by 2024-2025, that number dropped to just 36.9%. This suggests a fundamental change in the student body, likely due to a new attendance zone or the opening of a nearby school. While this shift has helped improve chronic absenteeism—which fell from a severe 56.7% in 2020-2021 to 21.1% in 2023-2024, now better than the state average—academic performance remains critically low and highly volatile. For example, 4th Grade Math proficiency was just 11% in 2025-2026, compared to 60% district-wide and 65% statewide. The school ranks in the 1st percentile of Florida elementary schools, far behind nearby Pahokee Elementary School, which serves a similar community but achieved 72% proficiency in 5th Grade Math versus Glades Academy's 27%. This comparison suggests the school's challenges are not solely due to demographics but may involve school-specific factors like leadership or instruction.

Despite these struggles, there is a notable bright spot: Glades Academy consistently outperforms the district and state in Civics EOC exams, with 79% proficiency in 2024-2025. However, the school's small size (271 students) means that test scores can swing wildly from year to year—for instance, 8th Grade Math proficiency dropped from 80% to 13% over three years. The school spends $13,159 per student, less than high-poverty neighbors like Pahokee Elementary ($20,930), but this is not the core issue; rather, the effectiveness of instruction and support for the new student body remains a critical concern for parents to investigate.