Summary:
Zip code 32311 in Tallahassee, Florida, is home to six schools serving elementary through high school grades, offering a diverse educational landscape that ranges from a top-tier lab school to struggling public institutions. The standout school is Florida State University School, a 5-star school in the Fsu Lab School district, which achieves test scores 20-40 percentage points above state averages, such as 95% proficiency in 7th-grade Math. In contrast, Apalachee Elementary School and J Michael Conley Elementary School At Southwood both hold 1-star ratings and struggle with proficiency rates below 60%, highlighting a stark divide within the same zip code.
Key metrics reveal significant disparities: Leon County Virtual School Franchise has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 0.7%, while Lincoln High School has the highest at 49.6%, despite a strong 92.7% graduation rate. Per-student spending does not align with outcomes, as Apalachee Elementary spends the most ($13,420) yet performs the worst, while Florida State University School achieves elite results with $10,055 per student. Tallahassee Classical School excels in high school EOCs, with 95% proficiency in Biology 1, but shows a "middle school dip" with lower FAST scores in 6th-8th grades.
Interesting takeaways include the "two worlds" dynamic, where a family's choice of school dramatically impacts academic trajectory, and the clear link between chronic absenteeism and low performance, as seen at Lincoln High and Apalachee Elementary. The Leon district manages most schools, but the presence of the Fsu Lab School district creates a unique contrast. Overall, parents should weigh factors like school ratings, test scores, and attendance rates, as money alone does not guarantee success in this area.
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