Summary:
The city of Chipley, Florida has only one elementary school, Kate M. Smith Elementary School, which serves students from grades K-5. Located in Washington District, the school faces some significant challenges, including inconsistent academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and serving a student population with high economic needs.
Kate M. Smith Elementary School has a sizable student body of 941 students, with a predominantly White (73.65%) population and significant representation from African American (15.73%) and Hispanic (3.61%) students. The school's academic performance has been mixed, with proficiency rates on state assessments below the state averages in English Language Arts and Math across grades 3-5, but a 5th grade science proficiency rate slightly above the state average. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 43.6% in 2022-2023 was significantly higher than the state average, which is a major concern as it is strongly linked to lower academic achievement.
With over 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Kate M. Smith Elementary serves a student population with high economic needs. The school's per-student funding of $8,512 is also below the state average, which could limit the resources available to support student learning and address the school's challenges. While the school's student-teacher ratio of 16.2 to 1 is relatively favorable, the combination of academic, attendance, and socioeconomic factors suggests that the school faces significant hurdles in delivering consistent, high-quality instruction and supporting student success.
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