Summary:
In zip code 34983, there is one middle school, Southern Oaks Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 in Port St. Lucie, Florida, with an enrollment of 833 students.
Southern Oaks Middle School presents a mixed picture of performance. The school is a standout in advanced math, with 100% of students proficient in Geometry and 81% proficient in Algebra 1 on end-of-course exams, dramatically exceeding both district and state averages. However, the school struggles in grade-level subjects, with proficiency rates in 6th and 7th grade math and 8th grade English Language Arts falling below state averages. The school has shown remarkable year-over-year improvement from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, with double-digit gains in Civics (+23 points), 7th grade ELA (+14 points), and 8th grade Science (+11 points). Its state ranking has also improved, moving from the 24th percentile (1 star) to the 34th percentile (2 stars). The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 65.67% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.
A key concern is the chronic absenteeism rate of 33.0%, which is higher than the state average and likely impacts overall academic performance. The school's per-student spending is $10,639 with a student-teacher ratio of 19.3:1. The data suggests a "barbell effect" where a small group of high-achieving students excels in advanced math, while the majority of students struggle to meet grade-level benchmarks. The dramatic recent improvements are encouraging but need to be sustained to confirm a lasting turnaround. Addressing chronic absenteeism would likely be the most impactful step for improving outcomes for all students at Southern Oaks Middle School.
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