Summary:
In zip code 33761, there is a single middle school option: Chi Chi Rodriquez Academy, a small, specialized school in Clearwater serving grades 4 through 8 with a total enrollment of just 90 students.
Chi Chi Rodriquez Academy presents a striking paradox: it has favorable structural metrics like a low student-teacher ratio of 12.8:1 and a per-student spending level of $14,664, yet its academic performance is dramatically below both the Pinellas district and state averages. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, only 8% of 6th graders were proficient in English Language Arts compared to 64% in the district and 62% statewide. The school ranks in the bottom 7-9% of all Florida schools over the last three years. Interestingly, chronic absenteeism at 25.0% is actually lower than the district (30.6%) and state (31.4%) averages, suggesting attendance is not the primary issue. The school's strongest subject is Civics, where 63% of students were proficient versus 77% statewide—a much smaller gap than the 30-40 point deficits seen in ELA, Math, and Science.
Given the very small student body of 90, year-over-year performance can swing dramatically based on just a handful of students. For instance, 6th-grade Math proficiency dropped from 29% to 13% between school years. Over half of the students (53.33%) qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school is located in Pinellas County, a 4-star district ranked in the top 21% of Florida, making this school's performance an extreme outlier. The data strongly indicates a need for comprehensive instructional intervention, as the current model is failing to produce even average results despite having structural resources in place.
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