Summary:
This analysis examines four high schools in the 32304 zip code of Tallahassee, Florida, which includes a mix of traditional public, charter, and magnet schools serving grades 9-12, revealing a stark divide in performance and resources within a single area.
For parents, the standout school is Sail, a traditional public school that consistently earns a 4-star rating with strong academic proficiency—91% in US History and 72% in 10th-grade English Language Arts—and a 97.8% graduation rate, all while spending a modest $12,884 per student. In contrast, Amos P. Godby High School, the largest school with 1,388 students, struggles with a 1-star rating, a 60.2% chronic absenteeism rate, and proficiency rates well below state averages, such as 23% in Algebra 1 versus the state's 63%. The elite charter Tallahassee Collegiate Academy, part of the top-ranked Tsc district, boasts a 100% graduation rate and very low poverty (4.4% free/reduced lunch), but its selective admissions and high socioeconomic status set it apart. At the other extreme, Success Academy At Ghazvini Learning Center is an alternative school with a 0-star rating, a critically low 17.1% graduation rate, and an alarming 84.9% chronic absenteeism rate, despite spending the most per student at $20,038.
The key takeaway is that chronic absenteeism is the strongest predictor of failure, with the two lowest-performing schools having the highest absenteeism rates. Additionally, spending does not guarantee success—Success Academy spends the most but performs the worst, while Sail achieves top results with far less. This highlights that for parents, focusing on attendance and school culture may be more important than per-student spending when evaluating options in this zip code.
Thank you for your feedback!