Summary:
This analysis examines five elementary-level schools in the 32566 zip code of the Navarre/Gulf Breeze area, serving grades Pre-K through 8 within the Santa Rosa County school district, which is ranked 22nd out of 70 districts in Florida.
East Bay K-8 School stands out as the academic powerhouse, consistently ranking in the top 20% of Florida elementary schools with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (12.0%) and the lowest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (30.73%). Despite having the highest student-to-teacher ratio (18:1) and the lowest per-student spending ($8,398), it achieves the highest test scores across nearly every subject. West Navarre Intermediate School is another strong performer, maintaining a 4-star rating and excelling in early-grade math, with 85% of 3rd graders proficient. In contrast, Holley-Navarre Intermediate experienced a notable decline, dropping from the 78th to the 62nd percentile in one year, with falling test scores in 3rd and 4th grade English and Math. The two primary schools, West Navarre Primary School and Holley-Navarre Primary, serve grades PK-2 and have the highest per-student spending (over $11,400) and the highest chronic absenteeism rates (19.5% and 20.7%), though they lack standardized test scores for direct comparison.
A key takeaway is the "feeder school" dynamic: West Navarre Primary feeds into West Navarre Intermediate, and Holley-Navarre Primary feeds into Holley-Navarre Intermediate, with the West Navarre system showing stronger overall performance. Chronic absenteeism is a clear differentiator, as schools with lower rates, like East Bay K-8, tend to perform better academically. The entire zip code, however, has a chronic absenteeism average of 15.1%, far better than the state average of 31.4%. The sharp decline at Holley-Navarre Intermediate warrants attention, while East Bay K-8 serves as a model of efficiency, suggesting that factors like school culture and parent engagement can drive success even with fewer resources.
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