Summary:
This analysis examines five elementary schools in the 33837 zip code (Davenport, FL), serving grades PK-5 or PK-8 within the Polk district, a region where a majority of students qualify for free or reduced lunch and the district ranks in the state's 13th percentile.
The clear standout is Davenport School Of The Arts, a magnet school ranking in the 76th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating for three consecutive years. It dramatically outperforms all other local schools, with 5th-grade Science proficiency at 67% (vs. the state's 60%) and a perfect 100% in 8th-grade Civics. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 16.6% is remarkably low compared to the area's average of 42.4%. In stark contrast, Horizons Elementary School and Loughman Oaks Elementary School rank in the bottom 10th percentile (0-1 stars) and have alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rates of 49.4% and 56.0%, respectively. Davenport Elementary shows a notable decline, dropping from the 33rd to the 15th percentile in recent years. Navigator Academy Of Leadership Davenport outperforms the three lowest-ranked schools despite having the lowest per-student spending ($7,909).
Key metrics reveal a systemic crisis in chronic absenteeism, with the four non-magnet schools averaging 48.9%—over 1.5 times the state average. Spending does not guarantee success: Horizons Elementary School spends $9,614 per student but achieves poor results, while Navigator Academy Of Leadership Davenport spends less and performs better. Across the four lowest-ranked schools, 5th-grade Math and Science scores consistently fall 15-25 percentage points below state averages, pointing to a specific instructional need. The PK-8 model shows mixed results, with Davenport School Of The Arts thriving while Navigator Academy Of Leadership Davenport remains in the bottom 20th percentile.
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