Summary:
Zip code 34952 in Port St. Lucie, Florida, is home to one large high school, Port St. Lucie High School, which serves grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 1,793 students and is part of the St. Lucie County school district.
Port St. Lucie High School presents a fascinating paradox for parents. On one hand, the school boasts an exceptional 99.8% graduation rate, significantly outperforming both the district (94.5%) and state (92.2%) averages. However, this is contradicted by a critically high chronic absenteeism rate of 53.0%, which is nearly 19 points higher than the district average. Academically, the school shows a "two-speed" profile: it excels in Biology 1 and US History with 78% proficiency, but struggles profoundly in Algebra 1, where only 26% of students are proficient—a dramatic gap compared to the state average of 60-63%. Interestingly, Geometry proficiency (55%) is more than double the Algebra 1 score, suggesting that students taking Geometry may be a more select group or that instruction in that subject is significantly more effective.
Despite these challenges, the school's state ranking has been on a positive trajectory, moving from the 39th percentile (2 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 55th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026. With a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (58.9% free/reduced lunch) and a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.3:1, the school's strong performance in science and history, combined with its improving ranking, indicates progress in key areas. However, the severe Algebra 1 weakness and the graduation-versus-absenteeism paradox are critical issues that parents should investigate further, particularly regarding the school's credit recovery programs and attendance policies.
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