Best High Schools in Zip Code 33714

In zip code 33714, there is one high school, Lealman Innovation Academy, a unique school serving grades 5 through 12 with 307 students in the Pinellas district, which is rated 4 out of 5 stars.

Lealman Innovation Academy stands out for its stark contrasts. The school spends a very high $22,666 per student and maintains a low student-to-teacher ratio of 9.5:1, yet it ranks in the bottom 1% of Florida high schools. The most critical issue is an extreme chronic absenteeism rate of 76%, which is more than double the district and state averages. Academic proficiency is critically low across all subjects, with Algebra 1 at 5%, Geometry at 4%, and 10th-grade English at 0%. Despite these challenges, the school achieves a graduation rate of 87.5%, which is a paradox given the test scores. Over 80% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high-poverty population.

The key takeaway is that Lealman Innovation Academy is a school in crisis defined by absenteeism, not a lack of resources. The high spending and small class sizes have not translated into academic success because getting students in the classroom is the primary barrier. The relatively high graduation rate suggests alternative pathways to a diploma that may not rely on state test performance. Any meaningful improvement will require a radical focus on attendance and student engagement before academic instruction can be effective.