Summary:
The city of Jay, Florida, is served by three public schools within the Santa Rosa County School District, which ranks in the 69th percentile statewide, and includes two elementary schools (serving PK-6) and one high school (serving grades 7-12), with a total combined enrollment of 1,341 students.
Jay Elementary School stands out as the academic powerhouse, earning a 4-star rating and outperforming both district and state averages in every subject, particularly in math where 5th and 6th graders achieved 81% and 76% proficiency. In contrast, Chumuckla Elementary School has experienced a steep decline, dropping from the 79th to the 50th percentile in just two years, with a dramatic 34-point drop in 5th-grade math proficiency. Jay High School excels as a "graduation machine" with a 97.7% graduation rate, far exceeding district and state averages, though its standardized test scores often lag behind, especially in Algebra 1 (52% proficient vs. 69% district) and Civics (62% vs. 79% district).
Key metrics reveal that spending does not correlate with performance: Jay High School spends the most per student ($13,253) but has the lowest academic performance, while Jay Elementary spends the least ($10,275) and achieves the highest results. Chronic absenteeism is below the state average across all schools, with Chumuckla Elementary having the best rate at 17.6%. Jay Elementary also has the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students (62.29%), yet it remains the top performer, suggesting that factors like teaching quality and school culture drive success. Overall, the city’s elementary schools provide a strong foundation, but maintaining that momentum into high school remains a challenge, as proficiency rates there more frequently fall below district averages.
Thank you for your feedback!