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South Elementary School

Q: Is South Elementary School a good school?

South Elementary School ranks 1272 nd of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1272^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

South Elementary School is a public school in Okeechobee, FL, serving 475 students in grades PK-5 and stands out as a bright spot within the Okeechobee school district, which ranks in the bottom 2% of Florida districts.

South Elementary is the clear academic leader among the district's traditional elementary schools, consistently outperforming Seminole Elementary School, Everglades Elementary School, North Elementary School, and Central Elementary School in nearly every subject and grade level. For example, in 3rd grade English Language Arts, South Elementary's proficiency rate of 69% is 20 to 36 percentage points higher than its peers. The school also has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (70.53%) compared to other district elementary schools, which all have rates above 78%. Despite spending less per student ($11,990) than some nearby schools, South Elementary achieves relatively strong results, suggesting efficient use of resources.

However, the school faces a significant challenge with chronic absenteeism, which stood at 47.7% in 2023-2024—nearly 50% higher than the state average. This is a systemic issue across the entire Okeechobee district. For context, the nearby Pemayetv Emahakv Charter Our Way School in the Glades district is a high-performing school with a 1% free/reduced lunch rate and per-student spending of $35,219, highlighting how socioeconomic factors and funding can influence outcomes. South Elementary is performing well despite its challenges, making it a noteworthy option for families in the area.

475

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,990

Per pupil spending ?

70.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2468 SW 7th Ave
Okeechobee, FL 34974

(863) 462-5087

District: Okeechobee

Students who attend South Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Osceola Middle School
High:	Okeechobee High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.5%

Hispanic:

32.4%

African American:

4.6%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare South Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 43rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Okeechobee

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (48% vs 31% Florida)

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg43%

Florida avg62%

1,272^nd of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Elementary Schools in the Okeechobee

69^th of 70Okeechobee among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	45.0	1272 of 2240	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	1370 of 2258	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.8	1096 of 2256	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.7	1194 of 2240	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.8	1351 of 2219	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.1	1442 of 2247	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.8	1400 of 2182	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.2	1023 of 2118	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.2	763 of 2112	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.4	973 of 2087	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	26.2	1591 of 2064	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.5	1474 of 2029	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	25.1	1559 of 1984	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.3	1321 of 1985	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.6	975 of 1919	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.2	920 of 1847	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	61.5	718 of 1789	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	58.7	764 of 1786	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	73.7	443 of 1688	73.8%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts62%~ state avg

Math56%-9 vs state

Science52%-8 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The staff at South is amazing. From their amazing principal to the classroom teachers everyone cares about the child's success! Close Quote

Schools Near South Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)						FAST Math (2026)					Statewide Science Science (2026)		EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2468 SW 7th Ave	Okeechobee	34974	Okeechobee County	Okeechobee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 462-5087	475	29	16.3	70.5%	273 (57.5%)	22 (4.6%)	154 (32.4%)	3 (0.6%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.4%)	45	1272^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	43.2%		39.7	1370^th of 2258 public elementary schools	39.3%	98	69.0	61.0	56.0				63.0	44.0	59.0			52.0				$11,990	$1,632	$10,357
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	610 SW 5th Ave	Okeechobee	34974	Okeechobee County	Okeechobee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 462-5077	571	32	17.9	86.0%	225 (39.4%)	47 (8.2%)	282 (49.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.6%)	14.5	2054^th of 2240 public elementary schools	8.3%		17.8	1972^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	12.7%	82	49.0	30.0	51.0				49.0	27.0	35.0			35.0				$10,728	$1,456	$9,272
Everglades Elementary School	Public	K-5	3725 SE 8th St	Okeechobee	34974	Okeechobee County	Okeechobee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 462-5108	737	36	20.4	86.8%	344 (46.7%)	39 (5.3%)	321 (43.6%)	6 (0.8%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (3.0%)	22	1874^th of 2240 public elementary schools	16.3%		29.4	1663^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	26.4%	211	61.0	31.0	38.0				50.0	36.0	52.0			44.0				$13,605	$4,999	$8,607
North Elementary School	Public	K-5	3000 NW 10th Ter	Okeechobee	34972	Okeechobee County	Okeechobee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 462-5100	528	32	16.5	78.8%	215 (40.7%)	23 (4.4%)	276 (52.3%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.9%)	5.8	2194^th of 2240 public elementary schools	2.1%		23.5	1811^th of 2258 public elementary schools	19.8%	383	33.0	28.0	39.0				39.0	29.0	26.0			32.0				$11,662	$1,648	$10,014
Seminole Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2690 NW 42nd Ave	Okeechobee	34972	Okeechobee County	Okeechobee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 462-5116	511	32	15.9	91.0%	165 (32.3%)	23 (4.5%)	301 (58.9%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.1%)	17.5	1987^th of 2240 public elementary schools	11.3%		26.4	1745^th of 2258 public elementary schools	22.7%	242	39.0	42.0	45.0				34.0	46.0	54.0			42.0				$12,986	$2,154	$10,832
Pemayetv Emahakv Charter Our Way School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	100 E Harney Pond Rd NE	Okeechobee	34974	Glades County	Glades	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 467-2501	299	0		1.0%	26 (8.7%)	5 (1.7%)	56 (18.7%)	0 (0.0%)	139 (46.5%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (24.4%)	80.6	374^th of 2240 public elementary schools	83.3%		83	336^th of 2258 public elementary schools	85.1%	38	84.0	71.0	76.0	70.0	41.0	74.0	81.0	91.0	94.0	93.0	75.0	53.0	68.0	78.0	75.0	$35,219	$214	$35,005

Frequently Asked Questions about South Elementary School

How many students attend South Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 475 students attended South Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of South Elementary School?

Students at South Elementary School are 57% White, 32% Hispanic, 5% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What district is South Elementary School in?

Okeechobee

What schools do graduates of South Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Osceola Middle School
High : Okeechobee High School

Is South Elementary School a good school?

South Elementary School ranks 1272^nd of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate South Elementary School!

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Schools in Okeechobee, FL

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.