Sunshine Elementary

Sunshine Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school (PK-5) located on International Drive in Orlando, FL, serving 1,015 students as part of the Orange district. The school has faced persistent academic challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom 13-34% of all Florida elementary schools over the last six years and earning a 1-star rating in four of the last five years. This underperformance is most stark when compared to nearby schools: in 3rd Grade Math, Sunshine scored 56% proficient, while Bay Meadows Elementary scored 88% and West Creek Elementary scored 84%. The gap widens in 4th Grade ELA, where Sunshine’s 39% proficiency rate is less than half of Bay Meadows’ 82%.

A critical factor driving these low scores is a chronic absenteeism rate of 38.2% (2023-2024), which is dramatically higher than its high-performing neighbors. For comparison, Renaissance Charter School At Hunters Creek had a rate of only 8.5%, and Bay Meadows Elementary had 15.2%. This attendance crisis creates a vicious cycle: high absenteeism leads to low test scores, which contribute to the school’s 1-star rating, making it less attractive to families and potentially concentrating challenges further. Interestingly, Sunshine’s 5th Grade Science scores offer a glimmer of hope, with 50% proficiency in 2025-2026—only 10 points below the state average—suggesting a relative strength in that subject.

Another notable finding is the school’s spending paradox. Sunshine Elementary spends $8,437 per student (2024-2025), which is the lowest among its Orange County peers. For context, John Young Elementary spends $13,097, and West Creek Elementary spends $12,799. This roughly $4,000 funding gap per student raises serious questions about whether the school is adequately resourced to address its high level of need. Geographically, Sunshine sits on the border of the high-performing Orange district and the lower-performing Osceola district, and its scores are comparable to nearby Osceola schools like Kissimmee Elementary School, suggesting its challenges may be more tied to local community factors than district quality.