Summary
Plato Seminole is a small, K-8 public school in Largo, FL, serving 311 students in the Pinellas district with a low student-to-teacher ratio of 11.5:1. Once a high-performing school ranking in the 85th percentile statewide in 2016, it has experienced a dramatic and sustained decline, dropping to the 39th percentile by 2026—a loss of 46 percentile points. This trend sets it apart from nearby schools like Anona Elementary (84th percentile) and Bauder Elementary (88th percentile), which have maintained high ratings, while Ridgecrest Elementary (59th percentile) has not seen such a steep fall.
The school’s K-8 configuration is unique in the area, with only Pinellas Preparatory Academy offering a similar span, but this brings challenges. Test scores show extreme volatility, especially in middle school grades—for example, 7th grade math proficiency swung from 50% to 14% and back to 61% in recent years. While elementary grades often perform near district averages, middle school scores frequently fall well below, such as 8th grade science at 29% versus the district’s 58% in 2024-2025. Chronic absenteeism has more than doubled since pre-pandemic levels, reaching 20.3% in 2023-2024, though it remains below district and state averages.
Despite these struggles, Plato Seminole has bright spots, including high proficiency in Biology 1 (88%) and Civics (85%) in recent years, showing potential for excellence. However, the school spends significantly less per student ($9,870) compared to high-performing neighbors like Bauder Elementary ($17,524) and Anona Elementary ($14,789). This funding gap, combined with inconsistent middle school performance and rising absenteeism, highlights key areas for improvement as the school works to stabilize its curriculum and reverse its decade-long decline.
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