Summary:
The city of Pace, Florida, is served by six public schools within the Santa Rosa County School District, a highly-rated district that includes four elementary schools (one of which is a K-8 school), one middle school, and one high school, educating over 6,300 students.
For parents, the standout school is Wallace Lake K-8, which earns a 5-star rating and ranks in the 92nd percentile statewide, boasting exceptional test scores and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the city at just 7.9%. In contrast, Pea Ridge Elementary School faces significant challenges with a 2-star rating, the highest chronic absenteeism rate (23.4%), and the highest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (57.8%). Pace High School is a consistent performer, maintaining a 4-star rating for three years and achieving a 96.1% graduation rate, well above district and state averages. The middle school, Thomas L Sims Middle School, also earns a 4-star rating, while S. S. Dixon Intermediate School holds a 3-star rating, and S. S. Dixon Primary School does not have a star rating due to its grade configuration.
A key takeaway is the "spending paradox": the schools with the highest per-student spending, S. S. Dixon Primary ($10,817) and Pea Ridge Elementary ($9,920), are also the lowest-performing, suggesting funds are used to address socioeconomic challenges rather than directly boosting scores. Chronic absenteeism is a critical differentiator, with Wallace Lake K-8 having a rate nearly three times lower than Pea Ridge Elementary. Overall, the feeder pattern creates a diverse student body at Thomas L Sims Middle School and Pace High School, which successfully manages this diversity to produce strong outcomes for all students.
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