Best High Schools in Zip Code 34947

Zip code 34947 in Fort Pierce, Florida, is home to two high schools serving grades 9-12 within the St. Lucie school district, which ranks in the 46th percentile statewide.

The standout school in the area is Fort Pierce Westwood Academy The W.E.S.T. Prep Magnet, a large magnet school with 1,956 students. It boasts an impressive 97.1% graduation rate, well above the district (94.5%) and state (92.2%) averages, and has shown consistent improvement in its state ranking over the past three years. In contrast, Performance Based Preparatory Academy is a very small alternative school with only 87 students that faces severe challenges. It ranks in the bottom 12% of Florida high schools and has a critical chronic absenteeism rate of 88.6%, nearly three times the state average. Its proficiency rates are extremely low, with Geometry at just 6% and US History at 26%.

A key finding is the spending paradox: Performance Based Prep spends $22,331 per student—more than double the $9,614 spent at Fort Pierce Westwood—yet achieves drastically worse outcomes, likely because the high absenteeism prevents students from benefiting from the investment. Both schools serve a similar high-poverty demographic (58-65% free/reduced lunch), but Fort Pierce Westwood's strong graduation rate despite a 56.5% chronic absenteeism rate suggests effective credit recovery programs. This comparison shows that school model and culture, not just zip code or spending, are decisive factors in student success.