Pioneer Career Academy

Summary:

Pioneer Career Academy is an alternative public school located in Zolfo Springs, Florida, serving grades 4-12 with a total enrollment of just 29 students. As part of the Hardee School District, which is ranked 55th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating, Pioneer Career Academy faces significant challenges in supporting its predominantly Hispanic student population.

The school's student body is 68.97% Hispanic, significantly higher than the nearby Hardee Virtual Franchise (41.67% Hispanic) and other schools in the DeSoto district (46.38% Hispanic at DeSoto Secondary School and 39.62% Hispanic at DeSoto Virtual Academy). This suggests that Pioneer Career Academy may be serving a more disadvantaged population. The school also has an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 95.1%, much higher than the nearby Hardee Virtual Franchise (5.9%) and other nearby schools.

Academically, Pioneer Career Academy is significantly underperforming, with only 9% of students proficient or better in EOC/Algebra 1, compared to 35% in the Hardee district and 55% statewide. Similarly, only 18% of 10th-grade students were proficient or better in FAST/English Language Arts, compared to 43% in the Hardee district and 53% statewide. The school's four-year graduation rate was just 45.5% in 2018-2019, much lower than the nearby Hardee Virtual Franchise (60.0% in 2022-2023) and the state average. Despite these challenges, Pioneer Career Academy has a relatively high spending per student, ranging from $15,781 to $25,318 per year, suggesting the need for a more effective allocation of resources to support student learning and address the underlying causes of the school's poor performance.

Detail:

Public 5-12

200 S Florida Ave
Wauchula, FL 33873

(863) 735-2300

District: Hardee

SchoolDigger Rank:
703^rd of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,781

Student/teacher ratio: 29.0

Number of students: 29

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.0%

White:

13.8%

African American:

13.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Pioneer Career Academy ranks worse than 87.1% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Hardee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.28. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Pioneer Career Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Pioneer Career Academy has the smallest high school student body size in the Hardee School District. Student population at Pioneer Career Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (69%), African American (13.8%), White (13.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Hardee School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pioneer Career Academy is 29, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Hardee School District! (See more...)

Compare Pioneer Career Academy employs 1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pioneer Career Academy is $15,781, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Hardee School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Pioneer Career Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Pioneer Career Academy 703^rd of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Pioneer Career Academy in the ranking list.)

Hardee:

SchoolDigger ranks Hardee 55^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pioneer Career Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	6.28	703^rd	807	12.9%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Pioneer Career Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1995	10	11	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	27
1996	10	11	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	27
1997	8	2	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	15
1998	10	3	0	15	0	n/a	n/a	28
1999	5	0	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	19
2000	7	2	0	16	0	n/a	n/a	25
2001	11	3	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	22
2002	8	3	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	25
2003	8	3	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	25
2004	10	3	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	22
2005	4	2	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	15
2006	8	1	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	16
2007	5	5	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	15
2008	5	0	0	15	0	n/a	n/a	20
2009	7	2	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	18
2010	10	0	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	18
2011	2	1	0	4	1	0	0	8
2012	3	2	0	11	0	0	0	16
2013	2	1	0	11	0	0	0	14
2014	6	0	0	10	0	0	0	16
2015	5	4	0	7	0	0	0	16
2016	4	1	0	12	0	0	0	17
2017	5	2	0	4	0	0	0	11
2018	4	1	0	5	0	0	0	10
2019	6	1	1	12	0	1	0	21
2020	1	2	0	18	0	0	0	21
2021	3	0	0	15	0	0	0	18
2022	6	0	0	14	0	1	0	21
2023	4	4	0	20	0	0	1	29

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pioneer Career Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	27	2.0	13.5	29.6
1996	27	2.0	13.5	29.6
1997	15	0.0	0.0	26.7
1998	28	0.0	0.0	78.6
1999	19	2.0	9.5	84.2
2000	25	3.0	8.3	84
2001	22	3.0	7.3	86.4
2002	25	4.0	6.3	84
2003	25	4.0	6.3	84
2004	22	4.0	5.5	86.4
2005	15	4.0	3.8	66.7
2006	16	4.0	4.0	43.8
2007	15	4.0	3.8	73.3
2008	20	4.0	5.0	40
2009	18	4.3	4.5	33.3
2010	18	4.0	4.5	66.7
2011	8	3.0	2.6	62.5
2012	16	3.0	5.3	56.3
2013	14	3.0	4.6	78.6
2014	16	3.0	5.3	81.3
2015	16	3.0	5.3	100
2016	17	2.0	8.5	58.8
2017	11	3.0	3.6	63.6
2018	10	3.0	3.3	80
2019	21	1.6	13.0	66.7
2020	21	1.3	15.1	81
2021	18	2.0	9.0	66.7
2022	21	1.0	21.0	71.4
2023	29	1.0	29.0	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pioneer Career Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	27	2.0	13.5	29.6
1996	27	2.0	13.5	29.6
1997	15	0.0	0.0	26.7
1998	28	0.0	0.0	78.6
1999	19	2.0	9.5	84.2
2000	25	3.0	8.3	84
2001	22	3.0	7.3	86.4
2002	25	4.0	6.3	84
2003	25	4.0	6.3	84
2004	22	4.0	5.5	86.4
2005	15	4.0	3.8	66.7
2006	16	4.0	4.0	43.8
2007	15	4.0	3.8	73.3
2008	20	4.0	5.0	40
2009	18	4.3	4.5	33.3
2010	18	4.0	4.5	66.7
2011	8	3.0	2.6	62.5
2012	16	3.0	5.3	56.3
2013	14	3.0	4.6	78.6
2014	16	3.0	5.3	81.3
2015	16	3.0	5.3	100
2016	17	2.0	8.5	58.8
2017	11	3.0	3.6	63.6
2018	10	3.0	3.3	80
2019	21	1.6	13.0	66.7
2020	21	1.3	15.1	81
2021	18	2.0	9.0	66.7
2022	21	1.0	21.0	71.4
2023	29	1.0	29.0	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pioneer Career Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,738 (9.4%)	$16,767 (90.6%)	$18,505
2020	$659 (3.8%)	$16,547 (96.2%)	$17,206
2021	$1,655 (6.5%)	$23,663 (93.5%)	$25,318
2022	$2,223 (13.7%)	$14,048 (86.3%)	$16,272
2023	$5,719 (36.2%)	$10,062 (63.8%)	$15,781

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pioneer Career Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	21	29	38.1%
African American	1	4	300%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	12	20	66.7%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	6	4	33.3%
Two or More Races	0	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	66.7%	100%	33.3%

Schools Near Pioneer Career Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)					FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pioneer Career Academy	Public	5-12	200 S Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	No	(863) 735-2300	29	1	29.0	100.0%	4 (13.8%)	4 (13.8%)	20 (69.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.4%)	6.3	703^rd of 807 public high schools	12.9%					(n/a)					18.0					9.0		27.0			$15,781	$5,719	$10,062
Hardee Senior High School	Public	9-12	830 Altman Rd	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-3181	1,403	68	20.6	66.7%	386 (27.5%)	81 (5.8%)	905 (64.5%)	12 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	18 (1.3%)	39.4	424^th of 807 public high schools	47.5%		40	385^th of 792 public high schools	51.4%	39				45.0	44.0					25.0	44.0	61.0	71.0		$9,322	$1,795	$7,527
Hardee Junior High School	Public	6-12	2401 Us Highway 17 N	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-3147	1,141	62	18.4	74.2%	335 (29.4%)	58 (5.1%)	722 (63.3%)	11 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (1.3%)	46.8	340^th of 807 public high schools	57.9%		66.4	161^st of 792 public high schools	79.7%	179	54.0	43.0	44.0			52.0	46.0	47.0	36.0	84.0				62.0	$10,748	$2,509	$8,240
Hill-Gustat Middle School	Public	6-12	4700 Schumacher Rd	Sebring	33872	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 471-5437	705	36	19.5	62.6%	265 (37.6%)	95 (13.5%)	276 (39.1%)	23 (3.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (6.0%)								(n/a)	45.0	49.0	44.0			37.0	58.0	41.0	52.0	85.0				93.0	$9,757	$2,214	$7,543
Fort Meade Middle/Senior High School	Public	6-12	700 Edgewood Dr N	Fort Meade	33841	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 285-1180	786	49	16.0	67.7%	271 (34.5%)	103 (13.1%)	388 (49.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (2.5%)	54.1	260^th of 807 public high schools	67.8%		29.5	505^th of 792 public high schools	36.2%	245	38.0	39.0	40.0	53.0	56.0	52.0	38.0	62.0	34.0	77.0	48.0	66.0	65.0	68.0	$11,543	$1,914	$9,628
Desoto County High School	Public	9-12	1710 E Gibson St	Arcadia	34266	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 494-3434	1,244	70	17.6	66.6%	487 (39.1%)	119 (9.6%)	600 (48.2%)	9 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (2.1%)	22.7	621^st of 807 public high schools	23.0%		25.9	544^th of 792 public high schools	31.3%	77				31.0	37.0					19.0	29.0	55.0	54.0		$11,284	$2,726	$8,558
Avon Park High School	Public	9-12	700 E Main St	Avon Park	33825	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 452-4311	928	49	19.1	67.3%	256 (27.6%)	212 (22.8%)	421 (45.4%)	10 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	25 (2.7%)	35.3	472^nd of 807 public high schools	41.5%		28.7	516^th of 792 public high schools	34.8%	44				52.0	48.0					44.0	37.0	49.0	55.0		$12,300	$3,056	$9,244

Frequently Asked Questions about Pioneer Career Academy

Is Pioneer Career Academy a good school?

Pioneer Career Academy ranks in the bottom 12.9% of Florida high schools.

How many students attend Pioneer Career Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 29 students attended Pioneer Career Academy.

What district is Pioneer Career Academy in?

Hardee

What is the racial makeup of Pioneer Career Academy?

Students at Pioneer Career Academy are 69% Hispanic, 14% White, 14% African American, 3% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.