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Pinellas High Innovation

Public, Alternative Grades 4-11

1153^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,216 Florida Alternative Schools

Better than 5% of Florida alternative schools

Summary

Pinellas High Innovation in Clearwater, FL, is a small alternative school within the Pinellas district, serving 194 students in grades 4 through 11 with a high level of economic disadvantage, as nearly 70% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school stands out for its extreme chronic absenteeism rate of 63.6% in 2023-2024, which is more than double the district and state averages, and its consistently low academic proficiency across most subjects, such as 24% in Algebra 1 and 21% in 10th grade ELA, compared to district rates around 60%. This contrasts sharply with nearby Pinellas Virtual Franchise, which has a 5.8% chronic absenteeism rate and proficiency rates often 50-80 percentage points higher, highlighting that the "alternative" label covers very different student populations.

Despite significant per-pupil spending of over $23,000 annually and a low student-to-teacher ratio of 10.2:1, the school struggles with volatile and declining trends in core subjects, such as 6th grade ELA proficiency hovering near 0% for three years and 8th grade science at just 12%. However, there are bright spots in End-of-Course (EOC) exams, with 60% proficiency in Geometry and 86% in US History in 2024-2025, actually exceeding district and state averages, suggesting that specific instructional strategies or student cohorts can achieve success. This "spending vs. outcome" paradox is evident when comparing to other alternative schools like Calvin A. Hunsinger School, which spends over $54,000 per student but also faces high absenteeism, indicating that high investment alone doesn't guarantee results without addressing attendance.

The school's primary challenge is getting students into class consistently, as extreme absenteeism undermines the potential benefits of its resources. While the few EOC successes show promise, the systemic attendance crisis must be resolved before academic gains can be sustained. For parents, this school offers a highly individualized setting with small classes, but it requires a strong commitment to daily attendance to overcome the compounding effects of poverty and academic gaps that are more severe than at most other schools in the district.

194

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,513

Per pupil spending ?

69.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1220 Palmetto St
Clearwater, FL 33755

(727) 298-1616

District: Pinellas

Racial breakdown:

African American:

35.6%

White:

34.0%

Hispanic:

26.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Pinellas High Innovation to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2021 → 5th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (24% vs 63% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (64% vs 31% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg65%

Florida avg63%

1,153^rd of 1,216

Florida public middle schools ?

Bottom 5%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 1% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5Alternative Schools in the Pinellas

15^th of 70Pinellas 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2024	1.2	2243 of 2256	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.6	2223 of 2240	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	1.3	2213 of 2219	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.1	2227 of 2247	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	0.6	2175 of 2182	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.1	2108 of 2118	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	1.1	2016 of 2029	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	1.0	1978 of 1984	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.0	1972 of 1985	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	1.0	1904 of 1919	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	1.5	1832 of 1847	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	2.9	1767 of 1789	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	2.8	1763 of 1786	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	3.5	1662 of 1688	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	3.9	1153 of 1216	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.7	1146 of 1205	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.6	1182 of 1196	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	1148 of 1177	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.9	1111 of 1148	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.1	1101 of 1136	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.6	1088 of 1099	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	2.5	1026 of 1035	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	2.1	1023 of 1031	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.0	993 of 997	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	2.3	972 of 999	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.0	879 of 956	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	2.3	866 of 897	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	8.2	811 of 891	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	5.8	773 of 839	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	5.2	723 of 780	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	7.0	679 of 740	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	11.6	641 of 736	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	5.6	627 of 675	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	12.4	536 of 602	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	6.7	551 of 593	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

US History50%-24 vs state

Geometry36%-20 vs state

Civics36%-41 vs state

Biology 133%-41 vs state

Algebra 124%-39 vs state

English Language Arts19%-42 vs state

Math15%-44 vs state

Science12%-40 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, May 23, 2021

My daughter is a 2014 graduate from Clearwater Intermediate & it was the best decision for her that I ever made to apply and send her there. Colleen was honor roll all thru her time there, all of the kids were in the same learning-boat so no one was bullied, I enjoyed being on the PTA to support the kids & interacting with the staff. I couldn't ask for a better experience. Colleen is now an EMT, first on the road with Sunstar & now in Morton Plant ER, so she's done very well for herself. This is all thanks to Clearwater Intermediate's support & teaching. Close Quote

Schools Near Pinellas High Innovation

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				FAST English Language Arts (2026)						FAST Math (2026)				Statewide Science Science (2026)		EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC US History (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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	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 English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pinellas High Innovation	Public, Alternative	4-11	1220 Palmetto St	Clearwater	33755	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	Yes	(727) 298-1616	194	19	10.2	69.1%	66 (34.0%)	69 (35.6%)	51 (26.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.6%)								(n/a)		14.0	14.0	24.0	16.0	21.0		7.0	21.0	15.0		12.0	24.0	36.0	33.0	50.0	36.0	$23,513	$1,656	$21,857
Calvin A. Hunsinger School	Public, Alternative	K-12	1863 N Betty Ln	Clearwater	33755	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	Yes	(727) 469-4260	101	24	4.2	69.3%	40 (39.6%)	39 (38.6%)	14 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.9%)								(n/a)		4.0	8.0	14.0	0.0	15.0		0.0	0.0	10.0		7.0	13.0			50.0	18.0	$54,339	$6,750	$47,590
Pinellas Juvenile Det Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	301 4th St SW	Largo	33770	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 588-6069	55	0		41.8%	19 (34.5%)	31 (56.4%)	3 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.6%)								(n/a)
Dropout Prevention School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	301 4th St SW	Largo	33770	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 588-6069	395	0		47.1%	173 (43.8%)	128 (32.4%)	79 (20.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.0%)								(n/a)	14.0					73.0	0.0				14.0							$11,139	$736	$10,403
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	2935 County Road 193	Clearwater	33759	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 725-7982	137	23	5.9	37.2%	86 (62.8%)	13 (9.5%)	28 (20.4%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.8%)								(n/a)																		$42,062	$6,841	$35,222
Pinellas Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	14405 49th St N	Clearwater	33762	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	Yes	No	(727) 588-6304	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pinellas Virtual K-12	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	14405 49th St N	Clearwater	33762	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	Yes	No	(727) 588-6448	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pinellas Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	14405 49th St N	Clearwater	33762	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	Yes	No	(727) 588-6448	153	18	8.5	2.0%	91 (59.5%)	13 (8.5%)	27 (17.6%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (13.7%)								(n/a)				69.0	75.0	82.0				54.0		75.0	71.0	50.0	80.0	84.0		$7,458	$179	$7,279
Hospital/Homebound	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	8570 66th St N	Pinellas Park	33781	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 462-1515	61	0		4.9%	29 (47.5%)	24 (39.3%)	5 (8.2%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.3%)								(n/a)
Ese Countywide	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	6698 68th Ave N	Pinellas Park	33781	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	No	No	(727) 547-5900	206	11	18.7	1.5%	109 (52.9%)	49 (23.8%)	30 (14.6%)	12 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.4%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Pinellas High Innovation

What is the racial makeup of Pinellas High Innovation?

Students at Pinellas High Innovation are 36% African American, 34% White, 26% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Pinellas High Innovation in?

Pinellas

Is Pinellas High Innovation a good school?

Pinellas High Innovation ranks in the bottom 5.2% of Florida alternative schools.

How many students attend Pinellas High Innovation?

In the 2024-25 school year, 194 students attended Pinellas High Innovation.

Rate Pinellas High Innovation!

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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.