Summary:
Zip code 34688 in Tarpon Springs, Florida, is home to two elementary schools—Brooker Creek Elementary School and Plato Academy Charter School Tarpon Springs—both part of the Pinellas school district, serving grades PK-5 and K-8 respectively.
Brooker Creek Elementary School is the standout performer in the area, ranking in the top 3% of all Florida elementary schools (61st out of 2,240) with a 5-star rating for three consecutive years. Its academic excellence is consistent across all subjects and grades, with proficiency rates often exceeding 80% and reaching as high as 96% in 4th-grade math. The school also boasts a very low chronic absenteeism rate of 10.3% and a low free/reduced lunch rate of 14.57%. In contrast, Plato Academy Charter School Tarpon Springs has shown impressive improvement, jumping from a 3-star to a 4-star school and ranking in the 84th percentile. It excels in early-grade English Language Arts (97% proficiency in 3rd grade) and advanced math, while operating with a lower per-student spending ($9,511) and a smaller student-teacher ratio (11.6:1) compared to Brooker Creek.
A key takeaway is the difference in performance trends between the two schools. While Brooker Creek maintains uniformly high scores, Plato Academy experiences a noticeable decline in middle school grades, with ELA proficiency dropping from 97% in 3rd grade to 54% in 7th grade. Additionally, Plato Academy’s chronic absenteeism rate (20.9%) is double that of Brooker Creek, which may be a factor to watch. Overall, families in this zip code have access to a top-tier traditional public school in Brooker Creek and a strong, improving charter option in Plato Academy, each with distinct strengths and areas for consideration.
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