Vernon Elementary School

Vernon Elementary School in Vernon, FL, serves 621 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Washington County School District, which ranks in the bottom half of Florida districts.

The most critical challenge facing Vernon Elementary is an exceptionally high chronic absenteeism rate, which has remained above 45% for four consecutive years. This rate is significantly higher than nearby schools like Kate M. Smith Elementary School (43.1%) and Ponce De Leon Elementary School (34.4%), and far exceeds the state average of 31.4%. The data shows a clear link between attendance and academic performance—when absenteeism was lower in 2022-2023, the school achieved its best recent state ranking and highest 5th-grade scores. However, as absenteeism remained high, 5th-grade proficiency dropped dramatically. Interestingly, Vernon spends more per student ($11,244) than nearby Kate M. Smith Elementary ($9,439), yet achieves lower overall academic rankings, suggesting that money alone cannot solve the attendance crisis.

Despite these challenges, Vernon shows a notable strength in 3rd-grade math, where 73% of students are proficient—matching Kate M. Smith and exceeding the state average of 66%. However, this "3rd Grade Peak" is followed by a significant decline by 5th grade, where proficiency drops to 49% in math and 39% in English Language Arts. This pattern suggests the school effectively builds foundational skills but struggles to sustain academic growth as material becomes more complex. For comparison, Bonifay K-8 School, located just 11 miles away in the Holmes County School District, serves a similar demographic but achieves significantly better results with lower spending and a much lower absenteeism rate (31.2%), demonstrating that Vernon's challenges are not solely due to poverty but are likely exacerbated by its attendance crisis.