Cypress Elementary School

Cypress Elementary School in Pompano Beach, FL, is a mid-sized elementary school serving 733 students in grades PK-5 within the Broward County School District, and it serves a predominantly low-income community where 61% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Cypress Elementary is currently in the midst of a promising turnaround, having climbed from the 16th percentile in state rankings to the 43rd percentile over the last four years—its highest ranking in nearly a decade. The most striking success story is the school's 5th-grade cohort, which achieved a 71% proficiency rate in English Language Arts (ELA) and 66% in Math, outperforming many more affluent nearby schools. This is a dramatic improvement from when these same students were in 3rd grade, where only 22% were proficient in ELA. In fact, Cypress's 5th graders now outperform those at Innovation Charter School in both ELA and Science, despite Innovation having a lower poverty rate. However, the school faces a persistent weakness in early literacy, with only 39% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA—the lowest rate among all nearby schools and far below the district average of 64%. This creates a "V-shaped" performance profile where the school excels in upper grades but struggles in the early years.

Chronic absenteeism remains a critical barrier to sustained growth, with a rate of 35.8% that is significantly higher than high-performing neighbors like Floranada Elementary (17.6%) and McNab Elementary (30.2%). While Cypress spends $14,721 per student—higher than many peers—this investment has not yet translated into consistent performance across all grades. The school's primary challenge is to replicate its proven 5th-grade success in the earlier grades, building a more solid foundation for all students. For parents, Cypress offers a school that has demonstrated it can achieve high academic outcomes, particularly for older students, but it is still working to address early literacy gaps and attendance issues.