Summary:
Liberty County, Florida, is home to two elementary-level schools, W. R. Tolar K-8 School and Hosford Elementary Junior High School, both serving combined elementary and middle school grades (K-8 and PK-8) within the Liberty district, which ranks in the top 26% of Florida districts with a 4-star rating.
These two schools offer distinct academic profiles. Hosford Elementary Junior High School is a "high-peak performer," excelling in specific areas like 7th-grade math (85% proficiency) and 8th-grade science (78% proficiency), and it benefits from higher per-student spending ($12,458) and a lower poverty rate (41.72% free/reduced lunch). However, it has a concerning chronic absenteeism rate of 51.0%, well above state averages. In contrast, W. R. Tolar K-8 School is a "steady performer" with strong early-grade results (69% in 3rd-grade ELA, 72% in 3rd-grade math) and more consistent proficiency across subjects, despite serving a larger student body (513 students) with a higher poverty rate (53.02%) and lower spending ($10,655 per student). Its chronic absenteeism rate of 34.4% is much closer to the state average.
A key takeaway is the inverse relationship between absenteeism and performance: Hosford achieves higher peaks despite half its students missing significant school, while W. R. Tolar shows steady results with better attendance. A notable red flag for W. R. Tolar is a dramatic drop in 8th-grade math proficiency to just 16% in 2025-2026, far below state averages, which warrants investigation. Overall, Hosford may have untapped potential if it addresses absenteeism, while W. R. Tolar provides a reliable foundation for younger students but faces challenges in later grades.
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