Best Public Schools in Zip Code 32440

Zip code 32440 in Graceville, Florida, is home to two alternative schools serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade: Poplar Springs High School and Graceville School, both of which serve a community with significant economic need, as over 62% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Poplar Springs High School stands out as the higher-performing school in the area, particularly in high school academics and efficiency. It boasts a stellar 97.4% graduation rate, well above the state average of 92.2%, and significantly outperforms Graceville School in key subjects like Algebra 1 (50% vs. 22% proficiency) and 10th-grade ELA (71% vs. 44%). Additionally, Poplar Springs High School achieves these results while spending $11,895 per student, which is $1,154 less than Graceville School's $13,049, suggesting a more efficient use of resources. In contrast, Graceville School excels in 7th-grade math with a 67% proficiency rate and offers a lower student-teacher ratio of 12.9:1, which may provide more individualized attention.

A key challenge for both schools is chronic absenteeism, with rates around 38%—well above the state average of 31.4%—which likely contributes to inconsistent performance across grade levels, as both schools see strong early elementary scores drop significantly by 8th grade. The data also reveals a clear district-level difference: Poplar Springs High School (part of the Holmes district) consistently outperforms Graceville School (part of the Jackson district) in high school EOC exams, suggesting that the educational strategies in the Holmes district may be more effective for this community.