Summary:
Zip code 34481 in Ocala, Florida, is home to a single large public high school, West Port High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 with an enrollment of over 3,000 students within the Marion County school district.
West Port High School presents a mixed profile of strengths and challenges. The school excels in science and history, with proficiency rates in Biology 1 (75%) and US History (77%) that surpass both the district and state averages. It also boasts a strong graduation rate of 92.6%, above the district average. However, the school struggles significantly in mathematics, with only 28% of students proficient in Algebra 1—far below the state average of 63%. Chronic absenteeism is a notable concern, affecting 36% of students, which is higher than the state average. The school's student-teacher ratio of 25.1:1 indicates larger class sizes, and spending per student is $8,443. Despite these challenges, the school's state ranking has shown a positive trend, moving from the 59th percentile to the 53rd percentile over recent years.
The most striking finding is the severe gap between math performance and other subjects, suggesting a systemic issue with math instruction. The high graduation rate combined with low math proficiency raises questions about whether students are achieving grade-level mastery before graduating. Addressing chronic absenteeism could be a key lever for improving test scores, particularly in cumulative subjects like math. Overall, West Port High School is a school of contrasts—outperforming its low-ranked district in several areas while grappling with critical challenges in math and attendance that will likely determine its future trajectory.
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