Spring Creek Charter School

Spring Creek Charter School in Paisley, FL, is a public charter school serving 606 students from Pre-K through 8th grade in the Lake district, and it has recently made a remarkable academic turnaround, jumping from a 2-star to a 3-star rating and improving its state ranking by 19 percentile points in a single year.

The school's most impressive strength lies in its middle school grades (6-8), which significantly outperform both the district and state averages. For example, 8th-grade math proficiency reached 78%, far exceeding the district's 61%, and 6th-grade ELA hit 73% compared to the district's 61%. The Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam scores have been consistently high, with proficiency rates around 71-85% over the past three years. However, this success is not uniform across all grades; elementary grades (3-5) still struggle, with 5th-grade ELA at 52% and 3rd-grade math at 52%, both below state averages. This suggests that the school's effective strategies may be concentrated in the upper grades, creating a "middle school magic" effect that parents should be aware of when considering the school for younger children.

Despite its recent gains, Spring Creek faces significant challenges. Chronic absenteeism is a major issue at 35.8%, which is higher than the state average of 31.4% and starkly contrasts with the high-performing Round Lake Charter (also a PK-8 charter in the same district), which has an absenteeism rate of just 11.6%. Additionally, while the school spends a relatively high $11,098 per student, its student-teacher ratio of 17.3 is the highest among nearby schools, suggesting resources are directed elsewhere, such as specialized programs. The school's performance in subjects like 8th-grade science (45% proficiency) and civics (74%) also lags behind district and state averages, indicating that while math is a standout, other areas need improvement for balanced excellence.