Summary:
Zip code 33713 in St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to two schools within the Pinellas district: St. Petersburg High School (grades 9-12) and Mount Vernon Elementary School (grades PK-5), offering a stark contrast in performance and resources.
St. Petersburg High School is a standout performer with a 4-star rating and a remarkable 99.7% graduation rate, far exceeding district and state averages. It has shown strong improvement, climbing from the 61st to the 76th percentile in state rankings over three years, and consistently beats district averages in subjects like Geometry (71% proficient) and Biology (77%). In contrast, Mount Vernon Elementary School faces significant challenges, earning a 2-star rating with a declining state rank (now at the 39th percentile). It has a high free/reduced lunch rate of 66.07% and struggles with test scores, such as only 49% of 4th graders proficient in Math versus 72% district-wide. Chronic absenteeism is also higher at Mount Vernon (34.9%) compared to the high school (30.6%).
A key finding is the spending paradox: Mount Vernon Elementary spends $18,164 per student—nearly double the $9,135 at St. Petersburg High School—yet achieves lower academic outcomes. This extra funding likely goes toward smaller class sizes (11.4:1 student-teacher ratio at Mount Vernon vs. 21.1:1 at the high school) and support programs, but has not yet reversed the school's downward trend. For parents, this area offers a high-performing high school with excellent graduation rates and a rapidly improving elementary school that, despite significant investment, is still working to overcome poverty-related challenges.
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