Summary:
The six public schools in zip code 33764, Clearwater, Florida, are part of the highly-rated Pinellas County School District and serve a diverse student population of 4,702 across four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
The standout school in the area is Discovery Academy of Science, a K-8 charter school that ranks in the 93rd percentile statewide with a 5-star rating, achieving 100% proficiency in Geometry and Biology 1 EOCs. In contrast, Plumb Elementary School and Belcher Elementary School both hold 3-star ratings, with Belcher spending the most per student ($15,584) yet ranking lowest in the zip code. Clearwater High School boasts a near-perfect 99% graduation rate and excels in US History (79% proficiency), but struggles with a 45.2% chronic absenteeism rate—the highest in the area. Frontier Elementary School is the most improved, rising from the 65th to 74th percentile and earning a 4-star rating, with notable gains in 5th-grade ELA proficiency jumping from 61% to 74%.
A key takeaway is that higher spending does not guarantee better results, as Discovery Academy of Science outperforms all schools while spending over $5,000 less per student than Belcher Elementary. Additionally, Oak Grove Middle School presents a puzzling data point: its 7th-grade Math FAST proficiency is just 16%, yet its 8th-grade Math FAST proficiency is a strong 62%, suggesting a possible cohort effect or highly effective instruction. Overall, the average state ranking percentile for these schools is 73.2%, indicating above-median performance in Florida, though chronic absenteeism averages 31.9%, slightly above the state average.
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