Summary:
Zip code 32114 in Daytona Beach, Florida, is served by two public elementary schools, Palm Terrace Elementary School and Turie T. Small Elementary School, both part of the Volusia school district, and they serve students from kindergarten through 5th grade in a community where a high percentage of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
When comparing the two schools, Palm Terrace Elementary School stands out as the higher-performing option. It has a better state ranking (12th percentile vs. 5th percentile for Turie T. Small), a 1-star rating compared to Turie T. Small's 0-star rating, and consistently higher test scores in most subjects and grades. For example, Palm Terrace's 3rd-grade ELA proficiency is 37% versus 26% at Turie T. Small, and its 4th-grade math proficiency is 49% versus 35%. Palm Terrace also benefits from a lower student-teacher ratio (15.1:1 vs. 19.2:1) and higher per-student spending ($11,308 vs. $9,913), which may contribute to its academic edge. However, both schools face significant challenges, with chronic absenteeism rates of 41.9% at Palm Terrace and 45.0% at Turie T. Small—far above state and district averages.
An interesting finding is that 5th grade is a relative bright spot for Turie T. Small, where its ELA proficiency (47%) matches Palm Terrace's and its math proficiency (45%) actually exceeds Palm Terrace's (39%), suggesting a possible effective intervention at that grade level. Overall, while Palm Terrace Elementary School is the stronger school in the area, both institutions are grappling with high poverty rates and absenteeism that directly impact student learning, and addressing attendance is the most critical step for improvement in this zip code.
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