Summary:
The five schools in Port Orange, Florida (zip code 32129) serve students from Pre-K through 12th grade within the Volusia school district, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 51st percentile statewide.
Horizon Elementary School is the clear academic leader, earning a 4-star rating and consistently outperforming district and state averages in core subjects like math and science, despite over half its students being economically disadvantaged. In contrast, Sugar Mill Elementary School faces significant challenges, with the highest economic disadvantage rate (60.84%) and a declining state ranking that has dropped from the 64th to the 46th percentile. At the middle school level, Silver Sands Middle School shows a striking split: its advanced math students achieve elite proficiency (100% in Geometry), but its standard grade-level math scores often fall below state averages. Atlantic High School boasts an impressive 98.4% graduation rate and strong results in Biology and US History, yet it also reports a high chronic absenteeism rate of 42.5%, creating a paradox that warrants further investigation. The smallest school, Hospital Homebound, serves 49 medically fragile students with an extremely low student-teacher ratio of 4.6:1 and the highest per-student spending ($37,522), highlighting the intensive resources needed for specialized education.
Overall, the area presents a mixed picture: Horizon Elementary stands out as a model of success, while Sugar Mill Elementary appears to need targeted support. The high graduation rate at Atlantic High School is a major strength, but chronic absenteeism is a widespread concern affecting most traditional schools. Parents should note that per-student spending varies significantly, from $9,212 at Silver Sands Middle School to $12,301 at Horizon Elementary, and that economic disadvantage rates range from 51% to 61% across the traditional schools.
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