Summary:
The nine schools in zip code 33404 (Riviera Beach, FL) serve elementary through high school grades within the Palm Beach district, revealing a stark divide between one elite magnet school and several struggling neighborhood schools.
Suncoast Community High School is the standout performer, ranking in the top 3% of Florida high schools with exceptional proficiency rates (92-97% in English and US History), a 100% graduation rate, and low chronic absenteeism (4.7%). In contrast, elementary schools like Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary, West Riviera Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, and Washington Elementary Magnet School all rank in the bottom 25% of Florida elementary schools, facing high poverty rates (75-81% free/reduced lunch) and chronic absenteeism (42-50%). Riviera Beach Preparatory & Achievement Academy and Bodwell Academy also struggle, with Bodwell having the highest chronic absenteeism rate (70.8%). Inlet Grove Community High School sits in the middle, with a 100% graduation rate but lower proficiency in Algebra 1 (44%) and 10th-grade ELA (57%), and a chronic absenteeism rate of 16.8%.
A key finding is the spending paradox: the highest-spending schools per student, Washington Elementary ($22,860) and Riviera Beach Prep ($46,353), are among the lowest-performing, while Suncoast spends a modest $14,480 per student and achieves top results. John F. Kennedy Middle School, the only middle school, ranks in the bottom 26% but shows a strength in advanced math courses, where students achieve 85-88% proficiency. Overall, chronic absenteeism is a systemic issue, with six of nine schools exceeding 40%, well above the state average of 31.4%, directly correlating with low academic performance across the area.
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