Summary:
This analysis examines five elementary schools in the 34698 zip code of Dunedin, Florida, serving grades PK-5 (with one charter school extending to 8th grade) within the Pinellas County School District, revealing a diverse range of academic performance and socioeconomic factors.
Curtis Fundamental Elementary is the clear academic standout, ranking in the top 2% of Florida elementary schools with a 5-star rating and exceptionally high test scores across all subjects, often exceeding 90% proficiency. It also boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (6.1%) and the lowest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (19.89%). In contrast, Dunedin Elementary School faces the most significant challenges, with the lowest state ranking (55th percentile in 2025-2026), the highest chronic absenteeism rate (30.0%), and the highest poverty rate (68.14% free/reduced lunch). San Jose Elementary School shows a strong upward trajectory, improving to the 91st percentile and earning a 5-star rating, while Garrison-Jones Elementary School performs solidly with a 4-star rating and 83rd percentile rank. Academie Da Vinci Charter School is unique as a K-8 school, demonstrating strong middle school results but lower elementary math scores in 3rd and 4th grades.
A key finding is the inverse relationship between per-student spending and performance: the highest-spending schools, San Jose ($19,771) and Dunedin ($17,560), serve higher-poverty populations, while top-performing Curtis spends the second-least ($10,847). Chronic absenteeism strongly predicts outcomes, with Curtis's low rate correlating with high scores and Dunedin's high rate with struggles. Notably, Dunedin showed a dramatic turnaround, jumping from the 22nd to 55th percentile between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Additionally, Garrison-Jones and San Jose have similar poverty rates (39.27% vs. 40.18%), yet San Jose consistently outperforms, suggesting factors like school leadership or teaching quality drive its superior results.
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