Summary:
Zip code 32195 is home to a single school, Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School, a public elementary school serving grades Pre-K through 5th with 588 students in the Marion County district, an area where over 70% of students come from low-income households.
Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School is in a severe and accelerating decline, dropping from the 15th percentile (1 star) in 2023-2024 to the 3rd percentile (0 stars) in 2025-2026, making it one of the lowest-ranked schools in Florida. Academic proficiency is universally low across all grades and subjects, with only 29% of 3rd graders proficient in English Language Arts compared to the state average of 60%, and 5th grade science proficiency at 35% versus 60% statewide. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 42.6% is a critical crisis, far exceeding the district's 35.2% and the state's 31.4%, meaning nearly half of students are missing so much school it directly undermines learning.
Despite spending $11,933 per student—a notable amount—the school shows minimal return on investment, with no bright spots in any grade or subject. The combination of high poverty (70.58% free/reduced lunch) and extreme absenteeism creates compounding challenges that require urgent, holistic intervention beyond academics alone. For parents, this data paints a clear picture of a school in crisis where systemic issues are worsening, and the primary driver of poor performance appears to be the catastrophic attendance problem rather than a lack of funding.
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