Summary:
In zip code 32187, located in San Mateo, Florida, there is one elementary school, Browning-Pearce Elementary School, which serves grades K-6 with an enrollment of 679 students as part of the Putnam County school district.
Browning-Pearce Elementary School shows a notable bright spot in its 6th grade, where 69% of students were proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) in the 2025-2026 school year, outperforming both the district (61%) and state (62%) averages. However, the school faces significant challenges, including a critically high chronic absenteeism rate of 51.9% for the 2023-2024 school year, which is far above the state average of 31.4%. Math proficiency is consistently low across all tested grades, with 4th grade being the weakest at just 28% proficient compared to the state average of 65%. The school's state ranking has declined over three years, from the 20th percentile to the 12th percentile, and it spends $11,119 per student, which is a substantial investment that has not yet translated into strong overall academic performance.
Despite these struggles, the success in 6th grade suggests a potential strength in upper-grade instruction that could be replicated in lower grades. The high chronic absenteeism rate is likely a major factor driving low test scores and the declining state ranking, making it a critical area for intervention. While the school outperforms its district in 6th grade ELA and 5th grade math, it underperforms in most other subjects, particularly in 4th grade. For parents, this school offers a mixed picture: a promising upper-grade program overshadowed by widespread attendance issues and a downward trend in overall performance.
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