Summary:
This analysis examines 13 elementary schools serving Pre-K through 5th grade in the 34787 zip code of Winter Garden, Florida, all within the Orange school district, revealing a landscape of high-performing schools alongside a few facing significant challenges.
The top-tier schools in this area demonstrate exceptional and consistent academic excellence. Whispering Oak Elementary, Hamlin Elementary, Summerlake Elementary, and Lake Whitney Elementary have all ranked in the 94th to 99th percentile statewide for at least three consecutive years. These schools share key traits: very low chronic absenteeism rates (all below 12%) and a low percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch (below 18%). For example, Summerlake Elementary has the area's lowest absenteeism rate at 8.3% and boasts a 96% proficiency rate in 3rd-grade Math. In contrast, Ucp West Orange Charter is a clear outlier, ranking in the bottom 2% of Florida elementary schools with drastically lower test scores and a 46.8% chronic absenteeism rate, despite having the highest per-student spending. Dillard Street Elementary and Sunridge Elementary also face challenges, with higher absenteeism rates and rankings in the lower half of the state.
A standout improvement story is Tildenville Elementary, which has climbed from the 75th to the 86th percentile and achieved the highest 5th-grade Science score in the zip code at 90%. Overall, the data shows that higher per-student spending does not guarantee better results, as Atwater Bay Elementary has the lowest spending but ranks in the 85th percentile. A notable area-wide trend is that Math scores consistently outpace ELA scores across most schools, suggesting a regional strength in mathematics instruction.
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