Summary:
Zip code 32640 in Hawthorne, Florida, is home to two elementary schools, Ochwilla Elementary School (serving grades PK-6) and Chester Shell Elementary School (serving grades K-5), which operate under different districts—Putnam and Alachua, respectively—and both face significant challenges.
Ochwilla Elementary stands out for a notable bright spot: its 3rd grade English Language Arts proficiency rate of 60% in the 2025-2026 school year, which matches the state average and far exceeds its district's 41% average. However, this success does not extend to other grades or subjects, as 4th grade ELA drops to 33% and 5th grade math to 28%. Chester Shell Elementary, while spending more per student ($15,165) and having a lower student-teacher ratio (15.2:1) than Ochwilla ($14,150 and 17.6:1), ranks lower overall (5th percentile vs. 13th percentile) and has a higher poverty rate, with 75.53% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to Ochwilla's 53.61%. Both schools are in the bottom 15% of Florida elementary schools, with Ochwilla ranking 1,950th and Chester Shell 2,120th out of 2,240 schools.
A critical issue for both schools is chronic absenteeism, which is nearly double the state average of 31.4%: Ochwilla has a rate of 56.3% and Chester Shell 50.5%. This systemic problem is a strong predictor of low academic performance. Interestingly, Ochwilla shows a glimmer of hope in 6th grade math (59% proficient in 2025-2026), while Chester Shell has a similar uptick in 5th grade ELA (50% proficient). These isolated successes suggest that targeted interventions in specific subjects or grade levels could be replicated to improve overall outcomes. For parents, the data highlights that while Ochwilla has a few academic strengths, both schools struggle with attendance and overall performance, and higher spending at Chester Shell has not translated into better results.
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