Summary:
In zip code 32008, there is one elementary school, Branford Elementary School, serving grades PK through 5 with 712 students in the Branford area of the Suwannee School District.
Branford Elementary School shows a clear pattern of strong early performance followed by a significant decline in upper grades. In the 2025-2026 school year, 3rd graders excelled, with 73% proficient in Math and 66% in English Language Arts (ELA), both outperforming state averages. However, by 5th grade, Math proficiency dropped sharply to just 41%, which is 21 points below the state average, while ELA proficiency fell to 57%. This "3rd grade peak" is a major concern, suggesting the school builds strong foundational skills but struggles to maintain progress as the curriculum becomes more complex. A bright spot is 5th Grade Science, where 65% of students are proficient, well above both the district (50%) and state (60%) averages. The school's overall state ranking places it in the 50th percentile (2 stars), a slight drop from previous years.
A critical issue is chronic absenteeism, which affects 45% of students—far higher than the state average of 31.4%. This likely contributes to the declining performance in upper grades, as students who miss significant school time in 3rd and 4th grade struggle with advanced 5th grade concepts. The school spends $10,000 per student and has a student-teacher ratio of 18.2, with 59% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. While the school has pockets of excellence, the combination of high absenteeism and the sharp drop in upper-grade Math scores indicates that targeted interventions are needed to support students as they advance through the grades.
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