Baker

The Baker school district in Florida serves approximately 4,763 students across six public schools, including four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, and is ranked 41st out of 70 districts in the state with a 2-star rating.

The standout school in the district is MacClenny Elementary School, which has earned a 4-star rating for three consecutive years and ranks in the 79th percentile statewide, dramatically outperforming its peers with proficiency rates in 3rd-grade Math (93%) and ELA (78%) that far exceed state averages. In contrast, Westside Elementary School and Legacy Elementary School generally perform below state averages, highlighting an inconsistent elementary experience across the district. Baker County Middle School presents a paradox: it excels in advanced coursework with 79% proficiency in Algebra 1 and 81% in Civics, yet struggles with the highest chronic absenteeism rate (40.2%) and low performance in 8th-grade Math (41%) and Science (47%). Baker County Senior High School shows mixed results, with strong performance in US History (71%) and Biology (65%), but a critical weakness in Algebra 1 (21%), which contributes to its 2-star rating and a declining graduation rate of 83.5%.

A key takeaway is that MacClenny Elementary achieves exceptional results despite a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (43.27%) and a standard student-teacher ratio of 15.7, largely due to its low chronic absenteeism rate of 21.3%. This contrasts with Westside Elementary, which spends the most per student ($11,207) but performs below state averages, while MacClenny spends less ($10,989) and excels, showing that spending efficiency matters more than total dollars. The district's overall 2-star rating and the high school's Algebra 1 crisis suggest that while pockets of excellence exist, significant challenges remain in engaging students and ensuring foundational skills are mastered across all grade levels.