Summary:
Zip code 33043, covering Big Pine Key, Florida, is home to a single elementary school, Big Pine Academy, which serves 89 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade within the Monroe County School District.
Big Pine Academy is a standout performer, having achieved a remarkable 5-star rating and ranking in the 91st percentile (194th out of 2,240) of Florida elementary schools for the 2025-2026 school year. This represents a significant climb from its 76th percentile ranking just a few years prior. The school's academic excellence is evident in its test scores, with 3rd-grade Math proficiency reaching 89%, far exceeding both the district (70%) and state (66%) averages. This high performance occurs in a school with a very low free/reduced lunch rate of 14.61%, indicating a student population with relatively high socioeconomic status. The school spends $13,078 per student, a substantial investment that likely supports its small, focused learning environment.
Despite its academic success, the school faces a notable challenge with chronic absenteeism, which stands at 22.9%—meaning nearly a quarter of students miss significant school days. While this is better than the state average of 31.4%, it is an area for potential improvement. Additionally, the reported student-teacher ratio of 89:1 appears to be a data error, as it is impossibly high for an effective learning environment and likely reflects the total enrollment number. Overall, Big Pine Academy is a high-achieving, small school that has shown impressive growth, though its absenteeism rate and data anomaly warrant attention from parents.
Thank you for your feedback!