Summary:
Zip code 34638 in Land O' Lakes, Florida, is home to a single middle school, Charles S. Rushe Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 with a large enrollment of 1,365 students as part of the Pasco County school district.
Charles S. Rushe Middle School is a standout performer, consistently exceeding both district and state averages in most subjects. The school has shown a strong upward trend in its state ranking, moving from the 69th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026 to the 79th percentile (4 stars) in 2023-2024. Its greatest strengths lie in advanced coursework, with exceptional proficiency rates in Geometry (91%), Civics (86%), and Algebra 1 (84%) for the 2025-2026 school year. The school also benefits from a low rate of economic disadvantage, with only 17.07% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and a low chronic absenteeism rate of 16.9%, compared to the district rate of 29.2% and state rate of 31.4%. Per-student spending is $8,394.
Despite its overall excellence, a critical red flag is a dramatic "7th Grade Math Cliff." In 2025-2026, 7th-grade math proficiency plummeted to just 27%, a staggering 35-percentage-point drop from the previous year and far below the state average of 53%. This suggests a potential issue with curriculum, instruction, or a specific cohort. Additionally, performance in core subjects like 8th-grade ELA and 6th-grade math has shown some year-over-year volatility, indicating that the school's high performance may be fragile and dependent on specific grade-level cohorts. While the school is a top choice in the area, parents should be aware of this significant math decline and inquire about the school's plan to address it.
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