Summary:
The city of Eloise, Florida, is home to a single public school, John Snively Elementary, which serves grades Pre-K through 5th and is part of the Polk County school district.
John Snively Elementary serves 396 students in a high-poverty area, with over 82% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 40.2%—significantly above the state average. Despite these challenges, the school shows a notable pattern of strong early-grade performance followed by a decline in later years. In the 2025-2026 school year, 3rd and 4th graders outperformed both district and state averages in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, with 3rd grade ELA proficiency at 65% and 4th grade Math at 66%. However, by 5th grade, proficiency dropped below both district and state averages in all subjects, with 5th grade Math at just 45% and ELA at 49%. This "3rd grade peak and 5th grade cliff" suggests a potential systemic issue in the upper elementary grades.
One bright spot is a dramatic turnaround in 5th grade Science, which jumped from 32% proficiency in 2024-2025 to 50% in 2025-2026—an 18-point increase that brought the school above the district average. The school's state ranking has also improved, moving from the 30th percentile (2 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 43rd percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026, indicating overall progress despite mixed local results. With a student-teacher ratio of 16.5:1 and per-student spending of $12,458, the school is working to address its challenges, but the high absenteeism rate remains a critical factor likely contributing to the academic decline in 5th grade.
Thank you for your feedback!