Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 32506

This analysis examines five elementary schools in the 32506 zip code of Pensacola, Florida, all part of the Escambia County school district, serving grades PK-5 and revealing a stark performance divide between two standout schools and three struggling ones.

In this area, Blue Angels Elementary School and Hellen Caro Elementary School are the clear academic leaders, consistently ranking in the 66th to 77th percentile statewide and earning 3- or 4-star ratings. In contrast, West Pensacola Elementary School, Sherwood Elementary School, and Myrtle Grove Elementary School have all ranked in the bottom 30th percentile for three consecutive years, earning 1-star ratings. A key differentiator is chronic absenteeism: the top schools average 20.7% absenteeism, well below the state average, while the struggling schools average 37.9%, significantly above it. Socioeconomic factors also correlate strongly, with the top schools having an average of 49.3% of students on free/reduced lunch compared to 77.9% at the bottom three.

Notably, spending does not predict success—West Pensacola spends the most per student ($12,461) yet performs the worst, while Hellen Caro spends the least ($10,872) and excels. A fascinating outlier is West Pensacola's 6th-grade scores, which are exceptionally high (78% proficient in ELA and 68% in Math), far exceeding district and state averages, suggesting a possible effective teacher or program at that grade level. Despite the district ranking 51st out of 70 in Florida, Blue Angels and Hellen Caro prove high performance is achievable, with 5th graders at Blue Angels scoring 76% proficient in ELA (vs. 56% district) and Hellen Caro's 5th graders scoring 79% proficient in Science (vs. 59% district).