Elementary Schools in Alachua

Alachua County, Florida, is home to 31 elementary schools serving grades PK-5, with a district ranking in the 29th percentile statewide, indicating significant challenges alongside notable bright spots. The data reveals a stark divide between high-performing schools like Alachua Learning Academy Elementary, which boasts a 5-star rating and 95% proficiency in 4th-grade Math, and struggling schools such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary School, which ranks in the 1st percentile with a 62.6% chronic absenteeism rate. The district average for chronic absenteeism is 31.6%, but this varies wildly from a low of 11.5% at Alachua Learning Academy to a high of 62.6% at Rawlings, directly correlating with academic outcomes.

Key metrics highlight a spending paradox: the highest-spending schools, such as Lake Forest Elementary School at $18,656 per student, are among the lowest-performing, while the top-performing Alachua Learning Academy spends only $8,522 per student. This suggests that effective resource allocation matters more than total spending. The percentage of students on free or reduced lunch ranges from 10.28% at Healthy Learning Academy Charter School to 89.74% at Rawlings, underscoring socioeconomic challenges. Standout schools include High Springs Community School, a K-8 school consistently outperforming district averages, and Hidden Oak Elementary School, which maintains a low 17.6% absenteeism rate and a 4-star rating.

Charter schools present a mixed picture: Alachua Learning Academy and Healthy Learning Academy are top-tier, while Constellation Charter School Of Gainesville struggles with a 49:1 student-teacher ratio and 56.8% absenteeism. The Alachua district overall faces systemic equity challenges, with schools in more affluent areas like William S. Talbot Elementary School (84th percentile) outperforming those in lower-income neighborhoods. Improving attendance emerges as the most impactful lever for raising achievement, as the absenteeism-achievement connection is stark across all schools.