Summary:
Zip code 34610 in Spring Hill, Florida, is home to two public elementary schools serving grades PK/K through 5 within the Pasco school district.
Shady Hills Elementary School stands out as the higher-performing school, particularly in mathematics, where it significantly outperforms both the district and state averages. For the 2025-2026 school year, Shady Hills achieved an average math proficiency of 70% across grades 3-5, a full 20 percentage points higher than Dr. Mary Giella Elementary School. This success correlates with higher per-student spending ($13,843 vs. $11,475) and a lower student-teacher ratio (12.2:1 vs. 15.8:1). While Shady Hills ranks in the 45th percentile statewide, Dr. Mary Giella has seen a decline, now ranking in the 22nd percentile. Both schools share a critical weakness in English Language Arts (ELA), with neither reaching the state average of 60% proficiency in any grade level.
A major concern for the entire community is chronic absenteeism, which is alarmingly high at both schools. Dr. Mary Giella reports a 38.4% chronic absenteeism rate, and Shady Hills reports 35.9%, both far exceeding the district (29.2%) and state (31.4%) averages. This indicates that nearly 4 out of 10 students are missing substantial school, a key predictor of lower academic achievement. Despite being on the same road and serving a similar demographic profile, the two schools present vastly different academic outcomes, highlighting how school-level resources and instructional focus can create stark contrasts within a small geographic area.
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