Summary:
Zip code 33712 in St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to eight schools within the Pinellas school district, serving a mix of elementary, middle, and high school students, and revealing a stark divide in academic performance and student engagement.
The standout academic performers are James B. Sanderlin K-8 and Lakeview Fundamental Elementary, both earning 4-star ratings. Sanderlin excels with top-tier test scores, including 100% proficiency in Geometry, and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the area at 11.3%. In stark contrast, Pinellas Mycroschool Of Integrated Academics And Technologi is in a state of crisis, with a 0-star rating, a 48.4% graduation rate, and a staggering 95.1% chronic absenteeism rate. The middle school landscape is also challenging, as Bay Point Middle School holds a 2-star rating and struggles with test scores, including 0% proficiency in 7th Grade Math. However, there is a bright spot: Melrose Elementary School has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 23rd to the 50th percentile in state rankings, with 5th Grade Science proficiency soaring from 26% to 78%.
The most critical issue across the zip code is chronic absenteeism, which averages 38.1% and is a powerful predictor of school performance. Schools with high absenteeism, like Maximo Elementary School (49.7%), struggle academically, while those with low rates, like Sanderlin and Lakeview, thrive. Interestingly, higher per-student spending does not guarantee better outcomes; the highest-spending schools, Maximo ($21,650) and Melrose ($19,333), are among the lowest-ranked, while the top-ranked Sanderlin spends the least ($11,046). This suggests that targeted interventions to address absenteeism and family stability are more critical than simply increasing funding. For parents, this data highlights that while some schools in 33712 offer excellent opportunities, others face deep-rooted challenges that require careful consideration.
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