Best Public Schools in Zip Code 33714

Zip code 33714 in St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to four schools within the Pinellas school district, including three elementary schools and one high school, serving a high-poverty community where the majority of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The standout school in this area is John M. Sexton Elementary School, which earned a 4-star rating and significantly outperforms its peers. For example, 85% of its 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to just 41% at Lealman Avenue Elementary School and 55% at New Heights Elementary School. In contrast, Lealman Innovation Academy is the most challenged school, with a 0-star rating and critically low proficiency rates averaging just 5.2% across all subjects. This high school also spends the most per student ($22,666) yet achieves the worst outcomes, highlighting a "high spending, low performance" paradox. Chronic absenteeism is a major issue, with Lealman Innovation Academy at a staggering 76%, while Sexton Elementary has the lowest rate at 31.6%—just above the state average.

A key takeaway is the stark contrast between the elementary schools and the high school, suggesting a "feeder pattern" crisis where students from relatively stronger elementary programs struggle after transitioning to Lealman Innovation Academy. While Sexton Elementary demonstrates that high-poverty schools can achieve strong results through factors like school leadership and culture, the overall picture shows that getting students to school consistently is the most fundamental challenge facing this community. The data reveals that financial resources alone are not the solution, as the highest-spending school produces the lowest academic results.