Summary:
Zip code 32608 in Gainesville, Florida, is home to seven schools within the Alachua district, serving primarily elementary and middle school students (with no high schools) and ranging from a small academy of 84 students to a traditional middle school of over 1,000.
The standout performer is Lawton M. Chiles Elementary School, which consistently earns a 4-star rating with strong test scores—80% proficiency in 4th-grade English Language Arts versus 60% statewide—and a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate of 19.1%. In contrast, Idylwild Elementary School and Myra Terwilliger Elementary School face significant challenges, with chronic absenteeism rates around 45% and test scores 20-30 points below state averages, such as only 19% of Idylwild's 5th graders proficient in math. Expressions Learning Arts Academy shows volatility typical of small schools, jumping from a 5-star to a 3-star rating between years, while Kanapaha Middle School excels in advanced math (96-100% proficiency in Algebra 1) but struggles with 8th-grade math (39% proficient).
A key takeaway is that higher spending per student does not guarantee better outcomes—the lowest-performing schools spend the most, likely addressing poverty and absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is the strongest predictor of performance, with low-absenteeism schools like Kimball Wiles Elementary School (23.1%) performing well. Overall, the zip code has an average free/reduced lunch rate of 50.2% and a weighted average chronic absenteeism of 30.5%, slightly below state averages, but the extreme variation between schools highlights a stark divide in resources and outcomes within this single area.
Thank you for your feedback!