Summary:
The city of Tavernier, Florida, is home to three schools within the highly-rated Monroe County School District, serving students from Pre-K through 12th grade with a total enrollment of about 1,337 students. The standout school is Plantation Key School, a Pre-K to 8th grade institution that consistently outperforms both district and state averages, achieving 100% proficiency in Algebra 1 and 8th Grade Math in recent years. In contrast, Coral Shores High School serves as a strong, reliable high school with a 96.7% graduation rate and a particular strength in History and Biology, while the tiny Upper Keys Academic Connections For Excellence (UKACE) is an alternative program for just 6 students, focusing on individualized support rather than traditional academic metrics.
Key metrics reveal a clear academic pipeline: Plantation Key School excels with a low chronic absenteeism rate of 15.6% (well below the state average of 31.4%) and a lower economic disadvantage rate (34.08% free/reduced lunch) compared to Coral Shores High School (41.3%). Per-student spending is nearly identical between these two large schools at around $17,100, but their student-teacher ratios differ, with Plantation Key at 15:1 and Coral Shores at 17.1:1. UKACE stands out for its extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 60% and a very low 6:1 student-teacher ratio, indicating its specialized role.
Interesting takeaways include the exceptional consistency of Plantation Key School, which outperformed state averages in 15 out of 16 test categories in 2025-2026, and the upward trend of Coral Shores High School, which improved from a 3-star to a 4-star state rating. Together, these two schools create a powerful educational pathway from Pre-K through 12th grade, offering families a high-quality, continuous learning experience. UKACE serves a fundamentally different purpose as a niche program for students needing alternative support, and should not be compared academically to the other schools.
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