Elementary Schools in Putnam

There are nine elementary schools in the Putnam County School District, serving grades PK-6 in a rural area of Florida where the district ranks in the bottom 20% of the state, but a few schools stand out as bright spots.

The district is defined by a stark contrast between a couple of high-performing schools and several that are struggling. The Children's Reading Center is the clear standout, earning 4 stars and ranking in the 81st percentile statewide with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (26.7%) and the highest test scores—for example, 97% of its 6th graders are proficient in math. Melrose Elementary School is another consistent high-achiever, with 3 stars and 88% of 6th graders proficient in math. At the other end, William D. Moseley Elementary School has received 0 stars for three years, ranking in the 4th percentile, with only 26% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA and a chronic absenteeism rate of 60.9%—the highest in the district. Other schools like Ochwilla Elementary School and Middleton-Burney Elementary School also struggle, ranking in the bottom 15% of the state.

The most critical issue across Putnam is chronic absenteeism, which averages 57.5% district-wide—nearly double the state average of 31.4%. This factor strongly correlates with performance: the two schools with the lowest absenteeism are the top performers, while the school with the highest absenteeism is the lowest performer. Interestingly, per-student spending does not predict success—The Children's Reading Center spends the least ($10,021 per student) yet achieves the best results, while Ochwilla Elementary spends $14,150 per student but ranks in the 13th percentile. This suggests that how money is used matters more than the amount, and that best practices from high-performing schools like Melrose Elementary could be replicated to help struggling schools improve.