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Edith I. Starke Elementary School

Q: Is Edith I. Starke Elementary School a good school?

Edith I. Starke Elementary School ranks 1595 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1595^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Edith I. Starke Elementary School in Deland, FL, is a small PK-5 public school serving 270 students within the Volusia district, where nearly 80% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high level of economic disadvantage.

Starke faces significant challenges, most notably an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 39.9% in 2023-2024, which is the highest among nearby schools and far exceeds the state average of 31.4%. For comparison, Timbercrest Elementary School has a rate of 22.6%, and Ivy Hawn Charter School Of The Arts sits at just 14.3%. This absenteeism, combined with high poverty, correlates with low academic performance, as Starke consistently ranks in the bottom third of Florida elementary schools. However, there is a bright spot: 5th grade science proficiency has shown consistent improvement, reaching 58% in 2025-2026, which outperforms the state average of 60% and suggests effective instruction in that area.

Despite spending $14,385 per student—the highest among its peers and significantly more than Freedom Elementary School ($9,820) or Woodward Avenue Elementary School ($12,068)—Starke’s academic outcomes remain low. This raises questions about resource allocation, though recent data shows a strong recovery from a crisis point in 2023-2024, with math proficiency rates in 3rd and 4th grades jumping from the 20s and 30s to the 50s and 60s. For parents, addressing chronic absenteeism appears to be the most impactful lever for improving student success at Starke.

270

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,385

Per pupil spending ?

79.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

730 S Parsons Ave
Deland, FL 32720

(386) 943-7950

District: Volusia

Students who attend Edith I. Starke Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Southwestern Middle School
High:	Deland High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.3%

African American:

32.2%

White:

17.4%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Edith I. Starke Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2016 → 29th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (52% vs 62% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 31% Florida)

!Math scores 11 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg62%

Florida avg62%

1,595^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 17% (2016) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

36^th of 48Elementary Schools in the Volusia

34^th of 70Volusia 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	32.7	1595 of 2240	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.5	1466 of 2258	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	10.7	2135 of 2256	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.2	1868 of 2240	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.6	1475 of 2219	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.6	1684 of 2247	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	1673 of 2182	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	1443 of 2118	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.8	1482 of 2112	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.0	1738 of 2087	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	5.3	2026 of 2064	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	6.6	1981 of 2029	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	13.4	1813 of 1984	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	22.2	1651 of 1985	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	24.8	1534 of 1919	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	25.0	1482 of 1847	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	12.2	1655 of 1789	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	16.6	1566 of 1786	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	14.6	1491 of 1688	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Science58%~ state avg

Math53%-11 vs state

English Language Arts50%-10 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, April 4, 2016

Their curriculum is at least 2 years behind where it should be at every grade level. This school tries to prevent children from advancing because the staff is bitter about not having students at or above average. This school should not be operating at all. Instead of helping children reach for the stars they are allowing bullying and racism from their teachers as well as students. This is not a combination for success, but rather for failure in life. Close Quote

Schools Near Edith I. Starke 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 Geometry (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 English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th 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 Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Edith I. Starke Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	730 S Parsons Ave	Deland	32720	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 943-7950	270	16	17.3	79.6%	47 (17.4%)	87 (32.2%)	125 (46.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.7%)	32.7	1595^th of 2240 public elementary schools	28.8%		36.5	1466^th of 2258 public elementary schools	35.1%	129	43.0	51.0	59.0					51.0	57.0	50.0				58.0					$14,385	$2,059	$12,327
Woodward Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 S Woodward Ave	Deland	32720	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 740-7910	532	37	14.3	63.2%	243 (45.7%)	105 (19.7%)	141 (26.5%)	12 (2.3%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.1%)	44.9	1274^th of 2240 public elementary schools	43.1%		38.5	1401^st of 2258 public elementary schools	38.0%	127	45.0	60.0	54.0					56.0	64.0	65.0				63.0					$12,068	$907	$11,161
Blue Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	282 N Blue Lake Ave	Deland	32724	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 822-6760	524	35	15.1	65.1%	179 (34.2%)	101 (19.3%)	212 (40.5%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.3%)	32.7	1596^th of 2240 public elementary schools	28.8%		32.1	1585^th of 2258 public elementary schools	29.8%	11	56.0	51.0	44.0					52.0	55.0	49.0				59.0					$12,679	$1,558	$11,121
George W. Marks Elementary School	Public	K-5	1000 N Garfield Ave	Deland	32724	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 822-6630	780	51	15.2	57.2%	394 (50.5%)	61 (7.8%)	286 (36.7%)	8 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.0%)	48.2	1189^th of 2240 public elementary schools	46.9%		55.9	977^th of 2258 public elementary schools	56.7%	212	62.0	55.0	62.0					62.0	63.0	58.0				55.0					$10,836	$846	$9,991
Citrus Grove Elementary School	Public	K-5	729 Hazen Rd	Deland	32720	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 626-0053	729	46	16.0	52.9%	388 (53.2%)	97 (13.3%)	162 (22.2%)	23 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	57 (7.8%)	51.2	1108^th of 2240 public elementary schools	50.5%		60.4	874^th of 2258 public elementary schools	61.3%	234	58.0	53.0	60.0					68.0	57.0	65.0				69.0					$10,864	$861	$10,003
Freedom Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1395 S Blue Lake Ave	Deland	32724	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	No	(386) 943-7670	786	48	16.3	49.9%	358 (45.5%)	146 (18.6%)	205 (26.1%)	22 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (6.9%)	57.9	936^th of 2240 public elementary schools	58.2%		54	1015^th of 2258 public elementary schools	55.0%	79	57.0	61.0	59.0					69.0	71.0	65.0				67.0					$9,820	$479	$9,341
Orange City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	555 E University Ave	Orange City	32763	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 575-4215	594	42	14.1	66.8%	311 (52.4%)	68 (11.4%)	168 (28.3%)	11 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.9%)	28.8	1697^th of 2240 public elementary schools	24.2%		30.4	1633^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	27.7%	64	55.0	45.0	47.0					56.0	51.0	49.0				50.0					$10,737	$1,050	$9,688
Manatee Cove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	734 W Ohio Ave	Orange City	32763	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 775-5200	787	49	16.0	58.7%	330 (41.9%)	98 (12.5%)	295 (37.5%)	12 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.4%)	31.5	1636^th of 2240 public elementary schools	27.0%		47.4	1175^th of 2258 public elementary schools	48.0%	461	48.0	55.0	43.0					53.0	60.0	46.0				55.0					$10,214	$829	$9,386
Ivy Hawn Charter School Of The Arts	Public, Charter	K-8	565 S Lakeview Dr	Lake Helen	32744	Volusia County	Volusia	Yes	No	No	No	(386) 228-3900	947	50	18.9	33.8%	621 (65.6%)	46 (4.9%)	213 (22.5%)	23 (2.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	40 (4.2%)	71	608^th of 2240 public elementary schools	72.9%		71.8	587^th of 2258 public elementary schools	74.0%	21	69.0	73.0	66.0	71.0	63.0	61.0	100.0	79.0	78.0	66.0	70.0	61.0	73.0	68.0	71.0	99.0	100.0	83.0	$7,341	$674	$6,667
Volusia Pines Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	500 E Kicklighter Rd	Lake Helen	32744	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 228-1125	477	31	15.3	56.2%	218 (45.7%)	66 (13.8%)	168 (35.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.8%)	66.9	706^th of 2240 public elementary schools	68.5%		56.7	955^th of 2258 public elementary schools	57.7%	249	63.0	53.0	70.0					69.0	64.0	80.0				81.0					$11,307	$744	$10,562

Frequently Asked Questions about Edith I. Starke Elementary School

What district is Edith I. Starke Elementary School in?

Volusia

How many students attend Edith I. Starke Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 270 students attended Edith I. Starke Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Edith I. Starke Elementary School?

Students at Edith I. Starke Elementary School are 46% Hispanic, 32% African American, 17% White, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Edith I. Starke Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Edith I. Starke Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southwestern Middle School
High : Deland High School

Is Edith I. Starke Elementary School a good school?

Edith I. Starke Elementary School ranks 1595^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Edith I. Starke Elementary School!

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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.