Summary:
Zip code 32909 in Palm Bay, Florida, is home to seven schools within the Brevard school district, including five elementary schools, one middle school, and one alternative K-12 charter school, but notably lacks a traditional public high school.
The standout performer in the area is Odyssey Charter School, which achieves a near-perfect 98.9% graduation rate and consistently high test scores, often exceeding state averages by 10-20 percentage points, while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (12.2%) and the lowest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (37.72%). In contrast, John F. Turner Senior Elementary School is the lowest-performing school, ranking in the 16th percentile statewide with a 1-star rating, the highest chronic absenteeism rate (34.7%), and the highest poverty rate (72.17% free/reduced lunch). Southwest Middle School presents a paradox: while its overall state ranking is low (30th percentile), its advanced math students achieve exceptional proficiency rates of 87% in Algebra 1 and 96% in Geometry, far exceeding district averages. Columbia Elementary School shows a concerning downward trend, dropping from the 39th to the 24th percentile in state rankings, despite a bright spot in 6th grade math (74% proficient).
A critical finding is that higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes; the lowest-performing schools, Columbia Elementary ($12,548 per student) and John F. Turner ($11,753), spend the most, while the highest-performing Odyssey Charter spends the least ($9,353). Chronic absenteeism strongly correlates with low performance, making it a key area for improvement. Additionally, with only one middle school and no traditional high school, students face a significant transition after 8th grade, and the overall performance of Southwest Middle School may not adequately prepare all students for high school rigor.
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