Summary:
Zip code 33770 in Largo, Florida, is home to five schools within the Pinellas school district, serving a diverse range of students from elementary through high school, including specialized alternative and correctional facilities, with a total enrollment of 3,048 students.
Mildred Helms Elementary School is the standout traditional school in the area, earning a 4-star rating from Schooldigger and consistently exceeding district and state averages in math and science, despite having the highest percentage of students (61.55%) eligible for free/reduced lunch. In contrast, Largo High School dominates enrollment with 67.5% of all students and achieves a remarkable 97.5% graduation rate, far surpassing the district (93.4%) and state (92.2%) averages, even though it struggles with a 35.9% chronic absenteeism rate and below-average Algebra 1 proficiency. The alternative schools present a starkly different picture: the Dropout Prevention School has a very low 5.3% graduation rate and 62.1% chronic absenteeism, while the Pinellas County Jail spends an extraordinary $51,492 per student, nearly four times more than any other school in the zip code, reflecting the high cost of correctional education.
Key metrics reveal a wide disparity in resources and outcomes. Largo High School achieves its high graduation rate with the lowest per-student spending ($8,831), while Mildred Helms Elementary efficiently uses $13,108 per student to produce strong academic results with a high-needs population. The Pinellas Juvenile Det Center and the Pinellas County Jail serve highly transient populations, with chronic absenteeism rates above 60%, highlighting the challenges of educating students in non-traditional settings. Overall, the zip code offers a microcosm of public education, from a high-performing elementary school and a graduation-focused high school to intensive intervention programs for at-risk and incarcerated youth.
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