Best Public Schools in Clearwater, FL

The city of Clearwater, Florida is home to 28 schools that are part of the Pinellas School District, which is ranked 19th out of 67 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating. The district serves a diverse range of students, with 14 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 6 high schools, and 5 alternative schools.

Several schools in Clearwater stand out for their exceptional performance. Clearwater Fundamental Middle School is a public magnet school that ranks 60th out of 1,205 middle schools in Florida and has a 5-star rating. It boasts high proficiency rates, with 96% of students proficient or better in Algebra 1 and Geometry, and 97% in Civics. Oak Grove Middle School and Plato Academy Clearwater, a public charter K-8 school, also demonstrate strong academic performance.

However, the data also reveals significant disparities in student outcomes across the district. While some schools, like Kings Highway Elementary Magnet School, have high proficiency rates, others, such as Bayside High School, struggle with proficiency rates below 20%. The district's alternative and specialized schools tend to have the lowest performance on state assessments, despite their higher per-student spending and lower student-teacher ratios. These findings highlight the need to address equity and access to quality education across the Clearwater school system.