Best Public Schools in Zolfo Springs, FL

The city of Zolfo Springs, Florida is home to two schools - Zolfo Springs Elementary School, a traditional elementary school serving grades PK-5, and Pioneer Career Academy, an alternative school serving grades 4-12. While both schools face challenges, they differ significantly in their student demographics, academic performance, and funding levels.

Zolfo Springs Elementary School has a diverse student population, with a majority of Hispanic students (57.12%) and a significant White population (37.63%). The school's academic performance, as measured by state assessments, is generally below the Hardee district and state averages, particularly in English Language Arts and Science. However, it performs significantly better than the alternative school, Pioneer Career Academy, which has very low proficiency rates on end-of-course exams and 10th grade English Language Arts assessments.

Both schools face significant challenges with chronic absenteeism, with Zolfo Springs Elementary School at 34.2% and Pioneer Career Academy at an alarming 61%. Despite the higher spending per student at Pioneer Career Academy, the school's academic outcomes are significantly worse than Zolfo Springs Elementary School, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving academic performance.