Benoist Farms Elementary School

Benoist Farms Elementary School in West Palm Beach, FL, serves 430 students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the Palm Beach district, and it has recently shown a promising academic turnaround after years of struggling.

After spending much of the last decade in the bottom 10% of Florida elementary schools, Benoist Farms jumped to the 26th percentile in the 2025-2026 school year, a significant improvement that signals recent interventions are starting to work. This is especially notable in 5th grade math, where 63% of students achieved proficiency—a rate that outpaces nearby schools like Grassy Waters Elementary School (47%) and Pine Jog Elementary School (49%). The school also spends a high amount per student ($18,718) and maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.8:1, which is the lowest among comparable schools in the area. However, the school faces a major challenge with chronic absenteeism, which stood at 37.3% in 2023-2024—far higher than the district average of 23.4% and much worse than high-performing neighbors like Everglades Elementary (17.4%).

Interestingly, Benoist Farms is located just 0.24 miles from Renaissance Charter School At Cypress, and both schools serve a similar population with nearly identical chronic absenteeism rates. Yet, while Benoist Farms is on an upward trajectory, Renaissance Charter is declining, dropping from the 34th to the 19th percentile. This contrast suggests that Benoist Farms' recent gains—such as 5th grade ELA proficiency jumping from 37% to 57%—may be tied to effective, sustained interventions. If the school can solve its attendance crisis, it has strong potential to continue improving and become a standout option in the area.