Summary:
Zip code 34482 in Ocala, Florida, is home to a single public school, Fessenden Elementary School, which serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade with a total enrollment of 430 students.
Fessenden Elementary School is part of the Marion County school district, which ranks in the bottom 10% of Florida districts. The school itself has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of all Florida elementary schools over the past three years, earning a 0 or 1-star rating. A major challenge is its very high chronic absenteeism rate of 39.8%, which is significantly above both the district and state averages. Academically, proficiency in English Language Arts ranges from 30% to 48% across grades, well below the state average of about 60%. Math proficiency is slightly better, with 3rd grade reaching 61% (close to the state average), but it drops to 40% by 5th grade. Science proficiency in 5th grade is just 27%, less than half the state average. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 75.35% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and spends $13,131 per student.
Despite the overall low performance, there is a notable bright spot in 3rd grade math, where proficiency actually exceeds the district average. However, a clear pattern of academic decline emerges as students move from 3rd to 5th grade, particularly in math and English. Year-over-year test scores are volatile, with some grades showing large improvements while others see significant drops, suggesting inconsistent instructional effectiveness across the school. The combination of high poverty, chronic absenteeism, and declining upper-grade performance indicates that Fessenden Elementary School faces deep-rooted challenges that go beyond classroom instruction, making sustained academic progress difficult without addressing these foundational issues.
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