Summary:
The four public schools in zip code 33702 (St. Petersburg, FL) are all part of the highly-rated Pinellas County School District, serving students from elementary through middle school with no high schools in the immediate area.
Shore Acres Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking in the 87th percentile statewide with top-tier test scores—84% of 3rd graders proficient in English Language Arts and 87% in Math—while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (20.3%) and the lowest per-student spending ($11,829). In contrast, Sawgrass Lake Elementary School spends the most per student ($15,198) and has the smallest class sizes (12.4:1), yet its academic performance is mediocre and its chronic absenteeism rate is the highest in the zip code (35.4%). Lynch Elementary School struggles the most, with the highest poverty rate (72% free/reduced lunch) and inconsistent test scores—for example, only 40% of 4th graders were proficient in ELA one year, while 81% of 5th graders were proficient in Math the next. Mangrove Bay Middle School offers a standout advanced math program, with 97% of students proficient in Algebra 1, though its general math proficiency for 7th graders (56%) is only slightly above the state average.
A key takeaway is that higher spending does not guarantee better results, as Shore Acres outperforms its peers with lower costs and larger classes, suggesting school culture and teaching quality are more critical. The data also reveals a clear socioeconomic divide, with schools serving higher poverty rates generally showing lower performance, though this is not a deterministic factor. For parents, Shore Acres is the top choice for elementary education, while Mangrove Bay excels for middle schoolers seeking advanced math opportunities.
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