Elementary Schools in Orange

This analysis examines 165 elementary schools in Orange County, Florida, serving grades K-5 and K-8, and reveals a wide performance gap between schools in affluent communities and those in higher-poverty areas.

The top-performing schools, such as Dommerich Elementary and Windermere Elementary, consistently rank in the top 3% of Florida elementary schools, with extremely low chronic absenteeism (below 10%) and very low free/reduced lunch rates (under 15%). These schools achieve exceptional test scores, often exceeding 90% proficiency in core subjects. In contrast, schools like OCPS Academic Center For Excellence and Ucp Bailes Community Academy rank near the bottom of the state, with chronic absenteeism rates above 49% and free/reduced lunch rates exceeding 80%, leading to critically low proficiency rates (often below 40%). The data shows a strong link between a school's socioeconomic profile and its academic outcomes, with high-poverty schools facing the greatest challenges.

Charter school performance is highly variable: Renaissance Charter School At Hunters Creek is a solid 3-star school, while Renaissance Charter School At Chickasaw Trail is a 0-star school. Per-student spending does not directly predict success, as Bonneville Elementary spends the most ($19,687 per student) but is a 2-star school, while Atwater Bay Elementary spends the least ($7,113) but is a 4-star school. Geographic clusters of high performance exist in Windermere, Winter Garden, and Maitland, while lower-performing schools are concentrated in areas like Pine Hills and Tangelo Park.