Summary:
In zip code 32040, there is one elementary school, Westside Elementary School, serving grades 1 through 5 in Glen St. Mary, Florida, as part of the Baker County School District.
Westside Elementary School is a school of contrasts, showing strong early academic success but a notable decline in 5th grade. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school outperformed both the district and state averages in 3rd and 4th grade English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, with 4th grade Math being its top subject at 74% proficiency. However, 5th grade performance drops sharply: Math proficiency falls to 51% (23 points lower than 4th grade), and Science proficiency is just 42%, which is 18 points below the state average. This "5th grade cliff" is a persistent trend, also seen in the previous year's data. The school's state ranking has been volatile, fluctuating between the 42nd and 53rd percentiles over three years, currently at the 48th percentile (2 stars).
Despite over 52% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school shows resilience with a chronic absenteeism rate of 27.9%, which is better than the state average of 31.4%. The student-teacher ratio is 16.6:1, and spending per student is $11,207. The school's overall rating is heavily influenced by its 5th-grade cohort performance, meaning a strong 5th-grade class could lift the school to a 3-star rating, while a weaker one keeps it at 2 stars. This pattern suggests a need to investigate the 5th-grade curriculum and instructional strategies to maintain the momentum built in earlier grades.
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