Summary:
Zip code 33026, covering parts of Cooper City and Pembroke Pines, Florida, is home to six elementary schools (two of which serve grades K-8) within the Broward school district, revealing a stark divide between high-performing, low-poverty schools and those facing significant socioeconomic challenges.
The standout performer is Embassy Creek Elementary School, which boasts a 5-star rating and ranks in the 96th percentile statewide, with 3rd-grade ELA and Math proficiency rates of 87% and 89% respectively, all while serving a student body where only 13.32% qualify for free or reduced lunch. In contrast, Renaissance Charter Schools At Pines and Renaissance Charter Middle School At Pines have poverty rates exceeding 96% and struggle academically, with chronic absenteeism rates of 23.8% and 27.4% respectively. The most improved school is Pines Lakes Elementary School, which jumped from a 1-star to a 3-star rating in one year, with 5th-grade Science proficiency soaring from 37% to 64%. Interestingly, Renaissance Charter School At Cooper City is a high-performing 4-star school with a moderate poverty rate (58.37%) and an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 0.3%.
Key takeaways for parents include that spending per student does not guarantee success—Pines Lakes Elementary spends the most ($14,873 per student) but is mid-tier, while Embassy Creek Elementary spends less ($10,549) and achieves the best results. The average chronic absenteeism rate across the zip code is 19.1%, well below the district average of 33.6%, but this masks a wide range from 0.3% to 27.4%. The data clearly shows that the socioeconomic context of a school's student body is a powerful predictor of performance, and that the charter school model itself does not guarantee success—as seen in the contrasting outcomes of the three Renaissance charter schools in this area.
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