Summary:
This analysis examines seven elementary schools in zip code 32808 of Orlando, Florida, all within the Orange school district, serving grades PK through 5th in a high-poverty area where most students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The standout performer is Mollie Ray Elementary, which achieved a remarkable turnaround from a 1-star to a 4-star school, with proficiency rates exceeding 70% in most subjects despite having the highest poverty rate (82.11%) in the area. In contrast, Ucp Pine Hills Charter and Lucious And Emma Nixon Academy Charter are the lowest-performing schools, ranking in the bottom 5% of Florida elementary schools with test scores far below district and state averages. Rolling Hills Elementary spends the most per student ($15,067) but ranks in the bottom 20% of the state, while Ridgewood Park Elementary shows inconsistent performance with strong 5th-grade math (52%) but weak 3rd-grade ELA (33%).
Chronic absenteeism is a widespread issue, averaging 35.8% across the area, with Lucious And Emma Nixon Academy Charter having the highest rate at 45.5% and Rolling Hills Elementary the lowest at 27.7%. The average student-teacher ratio is 16.3:1, with Mollie Ray Elementary having the smallest classes (14:1) and Rosemont Elementary the largest (18.8:1). The data reveals that higher spending does not guarantee success, as Pine Hills Elementary spends the least ($11,178) but outperforms some higher-spending schools in certain grades.
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