Summary:
Zip code 33707, serving the Gulfport and St. Petersburg area of Florida, is home to two public elementary schools: Gulfport Montessori Elementary School and Bear Creek Elementary School, both part of the Pinellas County School District, which ranks in the top 22% of Florida districts.
Bear Creek Elementary School stands out as the stronger academic choice in this area, showing a clear upward trajectory. It improved from the 41st percentile to the 59th percentile in state rankings between 2023-2024 and 2025-2026, while Gulfport Montessori Elementary School has remained stagnant in the 29th-41st percentile range. Bear Creek significantly outperforms Gulfport Montessori in 3rd-grade ELA (76% vs. 59%) and Math (79% vs. 60%) proficiency. Bear Creek also benefits from higher per-student spending ($19,226 vs. $17,428) and a lower student-teacher ratio (11.2 vs. 13.1), resources that correlate with its superior outcomes. However, a notable exception is 5th-grade Science, where Gulfport Montessori leads at 65% proficiency compared to Bear Creek's 55%, exceeding the state average of 60%.
A critical concern for Gulfport Montessori Elementary School is its chronic absenteeism rate of 41.7%, far above the district (30.6%) and state (31.4%) averages, and significantly higher than Bear Creek's 32.0%. This likely drives its low test scores. Meanwhile, Bear Creek Elementary School shows a remarkable "third-grade bump" with scores far exceeding district averages, though performance drops by 5th grade, suggesting a need for sustained support. Overall, families prioritizing academic performance and stability will find Bear Creek to be the stronger option, while Gulfport Montessori offers a unique strength in science education.
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