Summary:
Zip code 32617, serving the Anthony, Florida area, is home to two public elementary schools, Sparr Elementary School and Anthony Elementary School, both part of the Marion school district, which ranks in the bottom 10th percentile of Florida districts.
While both schools serve high-needs populations with over 64% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, Anthony Elementary School stands out as the stronger academic performer, particularly in mathematics. In the most recent data, Anthony’s 5th graders achieved a 63% proficiency rate in math, surpassing both the district (54%) and state (62%) averages, while Sparr Elementary School posted a 42% proficiency rate in the same grade. Anthony also shows a positive ranking trajectory, improving from the 38th to the 26th percentile over two years, while Sparr declined from the 38th to the 14th percentile. Anthony spends significantly more per student ($17,140 vs. $14,368), which may contribute to its relative success despite having a higher poverty rate (70% vs. 64%).
Both schools face shared challenges, including chronic absenteeism rates around 30%, which is slightly better than the district average of 35% but still a barrier to achievement. In English Language Arts, performance is mixed, with Sparr Elementary School outperforming Anthony in 4th grade (48% vs. 43%), while Anthony leads in 3rd and 5th grades. Science proficiency is nearly identical at both schools (43-44%), well below the state average of 60%. For parents, Anthony Elementary School offers a stronger and improving math program, while Sparr Elementary School may need to re-evaluate its resource allocation to reverse its declining performance.
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