Summary:
Nocatee, Florida, is home to a single elementary school, Nocatee Elementary School, which serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade and is part of the Desoto County School District, a district ranked in the bottom 3% of Florida.
As the only school in the city, Nocatee Elementary presents a mixed picture. A standout feature is a significant performance jump in 5th grade, where students scored 51% in English Language Arts (ELA) and 53% in Math, far exceeding the school's 4th-grade scores of 29% and 40% respectively. This "5th Grade Bounce" suggests a particularly effective teaching team or curriculum at that level. However, the school faces challenges, including a high poverty rate with over 70% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and a state ranking that has declined to the 13th percentile (1,951 out of 2,240 schools). Chronic absenteeism sits at 29.8%, slightly below the district average but above the state average.
Key metrics show a student-teacher ratio of 18.2:1 and per-student spending of $12,725. While the school outperforms its district in 5th-grade science (49% vs. 40%) and 5th-grade ELA (51% vs. 42%), its overall test scores trail state averages. A notable paradox is that while some test scores have improved year-over-year, the school's state rank has dropped, indicating that other schools across Florida are improving at a faster pace. The 4th grade, in particular, shows a pronounced "slump" with ELA proficiency 15 points below the district average, warranting further investigation into instructional support at that level.
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