Summary:
The four public schools in West Palm Beach's 33401 zip code, part of the Palm Beach district, serve 2,675 students across one high school and three elementary schools, revealing a stark contrast in performance and demographics within the same area.
Alexander W. Dreyfoos Junior School Of The Arts stands out as a top-tier high school, ranking in the top 2% of Florida high schools with a 100% graduation rate and test scores in the mid-90s, while serving a student body where only 15.9% qualify for free or reduced lunch. In contrast, the three elementary schools—Roosevelt Elementary School, U. B. Kinsey/Palmview Elementary, and Westward Elementary School—serve a high-poverty population with an average of 76.1% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Roosevelt Elementary is the lowest-performing school in the zip code, ranking in the bottom 5% of Florida elementary schools with a 0-star rating and a 44.8% chronic absenteeism rate, the highest in the area. Meanwhile, U. B. Kinsey/Palmview Elementary shows rapid improvement, jumping from the 38th to the 58th percentile in state rankings and achieving strong 2025-2026 test scores, such as 74% proficiency in 5th-grade Math.
A key finding is that higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes: Roosevelt Elementary spends the most per student ($18,611) but has the worst academic results, while Dreyfoos spends the least ($14,117) and excels. Chronic absenteeism is a critical issue for the elementary schools, averaging 36.3% compared to Dreyfoos's low 7.2%, and is a likely driver of the achievement gap. This zip code presents a "tale of two systems," where a magnet high school draws high-achieving students from across the district, while local elementary schools face systemic challenges related to poverty and attendance.
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