Summary
Oak Ridge Elementary School is a public school in Tallahassee, FL, serving 432 students from Pre-K through 5th grade in the Leon district, located in a high-poverty area where 78.5% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has historically struggled academically, currently holding a 0-star rating and ranking in the 4th percentile statewide, making it one of the lowest-performing schools in the district.
A critical issue at Oak Ridge is chronic absenteeism, with nearly 40% of students missing significant school in the 2023-2024 school year—higher than the district and state averages. This persistent challenge makes it difficult to build academic momentum. However, there are some bright spots: in the 2023-2024 school year, 67% of 3rd graders were proficient in math, outperforming both the district and state averages, though this score dropped sharply the following year. Additionally, 5th graders showed relative strength in math, with 42% proficient in 2025-2026, the school's highest relative performance. Interestingly, nearby Bond Elementary School, which has an even higher poverty rate (82.8%), achieves significantly better results (37th percentile), showing that poverty is a major factor but not destiny.
Oak Ridge spends $12,142 per student, which is higher than top-performing nearby schools like Kate Sullivan Elementary School ($10,541) and Bond Elementary School ($9,784), yet it continues to struggle academically. This suggests that increased spending alone is not solving core challenges, and the money may be going toward addressing non-academic barriers. For parents considering Oak Ridge, the school faces significant hurdles, but the data also shows that targeted interventions—especially around attendance—could make a meaningful difference, as demonstrated by the success of other schools in similar circumstances.
Thank you for your feedback!