St. Lucie

The St. Lucie school district in Florida serves 52 public schools, including elementary, middle, high, and alternative schools, and is ranked 38th out of 70 districts in the state, placing it slightly below the state average. For parents, the standout high school is Somerset College Preparatory Academy, which ranks in the 88th percentile statewide with a 99.3% graduation rate and exceptional test scores, while Lincoln Park Academy also shines with a perfect 100% graduation rate and the lowest chronic absenteeism among standard high schools. Among elementary and K-8 schools, Palm Pointe K8 School (85th percentile), Fairlawn Elementary School (88th percentile), and Morningside Elementary School (89th percentile) are top performers, often achieving proficiency rates above 80% in core subjects.

Key metrics reveal that the district's graduation rate of 94.5% exceeds the state average, but chronic absenteeism is a concern at 34.4%, higher than the state's 31.4%. Test scores in Algebra 1 (54% proficient) and Geometry (48% proficient) lag behind state averages, while Biology 1 (74%) and US History (73%) are closer to par. Spending per student varies dramatically, from $6,744 at Somerset College Preparatory Academy to $35,666 at Dale Cassens Education Complex, reflecting resource allocation to high-needs schools. The student-teacher ratio averages 18-20:1 for standard schools, but alternative schools like Dale Cassens have a much lower ratio of 8.7:1.

Interesting findings include a strong link between low chronic absenteeism and high performance, as seen at Fairlawn Elementary (14% absenteeism) and Morningside Elementary (22.1%), while struggling schools like Acceleration Academy (88.9% absenteeism) and Dale Cassens (75.3%) show the opposite. Math proficiency is a district-wide weakness, particularly a sharp drop in 7th-grade math at many K-8 schools, such as Oak Hammock K-8 School where proficiency falls from 61% in 5th grade to 14% in 7th grade. Charter schools like Somerset College Preparatory Academy excel, but others like Renaissance Charter School At Tradition perform near the district average, showing the model is not a guaranteed success.