Summary:
Daytona Beach, Florida, is home to six elementary schools (PK-5) within the Volusia school district, serving a diverse student population where a significant majority of families face economic challenges.
The academic landscape in Daytona Beach is sharply divided. R. J. Longstreet Elementary School stands out as the top performer, ranking in the 52nd percentile with strong test scores—74% proficiency in both 3rd Grade ELA and Math—and the lowest student-teacher ratio (14.5:1). In contrast, Turie T. Small Elementary School is the most challenged, ranking in the 5th percentile with only 26% proficiency in 3rd Grade ELA and a high chronic absenteeism rate of 45%. Beachside Elementary School shows strong improvement, achieving 72% proficiency in 4th Grade Math, while Champion Elementary School has declined from a 49th percentile ranking to the 28th percentile. Westside Elementary School and Palm Terrace Elementary School fall in the middle range of performance.
A critical finding is the city-wide crisis of chronic absenteeism, averaging 39.75%—well above the state average of 31.4%. Additionally, there is a resource paradox: the highest-need school, Turie T. Small, receives the least per-student funding ($9,913) and has the largest class sizes (19.2:1), while the top-performing R. J. Longstreet receives the most funding ($11,897) and has the smallest classes. This pattern suggests that resource allocation may be widening the achievement gap rather than closing it.
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