Schools in Zip Code 34974

Zip code 34974, covering the Okeechobee, Florida area, contains five schools serving approximately 2,771 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, with four elementary schools and one middle school, but no high schools.

The educational landscape in this zip code is defined by a stark contrast between one exceptional charter school and four struggling district schools. Pemayetv Emahakv Charter Our Way School, which is part of the highly-ranked Glades district, is the clear standout with test scores often exceeding state averages by 20-30 percentage points and a 1% free/reduced lunch rate. However, its per-student spending of $35,219 is nearly three times that of any other school in the area, making it an unrealistic benchmark. Within the Okeechobee district, South Elementary School is the top performer, ranking in the 43rd percentile and achieving the lowest poverty rate (70.53%) among its peers. At the other end, Central Elementary School is the lowest-performing school, ranking in the 8th percentile with only 27% of 4th graders proficient in math.

A critical concern for the Okeechobee district schools is a systemic crisis of chronic absenteeism, with rates ranging from 45.4% to 51.0%—nearly 1.5 times the state average. This is likely a primary driver of the district's low rankings and declining performance trend, as all four schools have seen their state percentile rankings drop over the past three years. Despite these challenges, Osceola Middle School shows a bright spot in advanced math, with 82% of its Algebra 1 students proficient, far exceeding state averages. Overall, the data reveals that socioeconomic factors and funding disparities heavily influence outcomes, with the Okeechobee district schools serving high-poverty populations (70-87% free/reduced lunch) and facing significant hurdles that require urgent intervention.