Summary:
The city of Newberry, Florida, is served by four public schools within the Alachua County school district, including two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, serving a total of approximately 2,511 students.
Healthy Learning Academy Charter School stands out as the highest-performing school in Newberry, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 80th percentile. It dramatically outperforms district and state averages in nearly every subject, with 85% of 5th graders proficient in English Language Arts compared to 61% statewide. The school also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the city at 17.8% and a very low free/reduced lunch rate of 10.28%. In contrast, Newberry Elementary School has the highest per-student spending at $11,164 but the lowest state ranking (37th percentile, 2 stars), and its ranking has declined sharply from the 58th percentile in previous years. Newberry High School boasts an exceptional 96.1% graduation rate, far exceeding the district (87.7%) and state (92.2%) averages, though its academic proficiency scores are generally below state averages, such as 40% in Algebra 1 versus 63% statewide.
Oak View Middle School presents a fascinating split in performance: it excels in high-level math courses like Algebra 1 (87% proficiency) and Geometry (100% proficiency), but struggles with standard grade-level math, with only 45% of 8th graders proficient compared to 61% statewide. City-wide, chronic absenteeism averages 25.25%, with Newberry High School having the highest rate at 31.1%. Overall, the data reveals that spending does not predict success, as the lowest-spending school is the highest-performing, and that Newberry High School is a graduation success story despite academic challenges.
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