Palm Acres Charter High School

Summary:

Palm Acres Charter High School is a public charter high school located in Lehigh Acres, Florida, serving 293 students in grades 9-12. The student body is predominantly Hispanic (60.07%), with smaller populations of White (18.77%) and African American (18.09%) students.

While charter schools are often touted as innovative alternatives to traditional public schools, the performance of Palm Acres Charter High School raises significant concerns. The school has consistently had very low four-year graduation rates, ranging from just 11.5% to 33.7% over the past five years, which is dramatically lower than the surrounding Riverdale High School (94.2%), East Lee County High School (95.1%), and Gateway High School (93.4%). Additionally, Palm Acres Charter High School has an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 86.9% to 94.9%, far exceeding the rates of nearby public high schools.

Academically, Palm Acres Charter High School consistently underperforms compared to the Lee County and Florida state averages on standardized tests. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 11% of students were proficient or better in US History, compared to 56% in Lee County and 68% statewide. The school's low graduation rates, high absenteeism, and poor academic achievement suggest that it is struggling to provide a quality education to its students, raising questions about the effectiveness of the charter school model and the support it is receiving from the district and state.

Detail:

Public, Charter 9-12

507 Sunshine Blvd N
Lehigh Acres, FL 33971

(239) 333-3300

District: Lee

SchoolDigger Rank:
669^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,866

Student/teacher ratio: 73.2

Number of students: 293

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.1%

White:

18.8%

African American:

18.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Palm Acres Charter High School ranks worse than 82.9% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 18^th among 26 ranked high schools in the Lee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.88. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Palm Acres Charter High School 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 Student population at Palm Acres Charter High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (60.1%), White (18.8%), African American (18.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 57.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palm Acres Charter High School is 73.2. 29 high schools in the Lee School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Palm Acres Charter High School employs 4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palm Acres Charter High School is $6,866. 22 high schools in the Lee School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Palm Acres Charter High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Palm Acres Charter High School 669^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Palm Acres Charter High School in the ranking list.)

Lee:

SchoolDigger ranks Lee 50^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Palm Acres Charter High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2017	12.67	584^th	714	18.2%
2018	5.85	622^nd	716	13.1%
2019	6.53	640^th	734	12.8%
2021	12.85	619^th	746	17.0%
2022	7.56	664^th	774	14.2%
2023	15.26	639^th	792	19.3%
2024	11.88	669^th	807	17.1%

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 Palm Acres Charter High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	26	38	0	83	0	0	3	150
2016	75	74	1	135	1	0	6	292
2017	84	83	0	148	1	0	6	322
2018	87	70	1	154	1	0	6	319
2019	55	74	1	118	1	0	8	257
2020	65	72	1	150	0	0	3	291
2021	47	55	1	114	0	0	5	222
2022	50	63	1	154	0	0	7	275
2023	55	53	2	176	0	1	6	293

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 Palm Acres Charter High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	150	4.0	37.5	38.7
2016	292	7.0	41.7	12
2017	322	6.0	53.6	29.8
2018	319	6.0	53.1	27.6
2019	257	5.0	51.4	46.7
2020	291	5.0	58.2	51.2
2021	222	6.0	37.0	42.8
2022	275	4.0	68.7	29.5
2023	293	4.0	73.2	57.7

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 Palm Acres Charter High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	150	4.0	37.5	38.7
2016	292	7.0	41.7	12
2017	322	6.0	53.6	29.8
2018	319	6.0	53.1	27.6
2019	257	5.0	51.4	46.7
2020	291	5.0	58.2	51.2
2021	222	6.0	37.0	42.8
2022	275	4.0	68.7	29.5
2023	293	4.0	73.2	57.7

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 Palm Acres Charter High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$177 (3.4%)	$4,989 (96.6%)	$5,166
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$5,892 (100.0%)	$5,892
2020	$00 (0.0%)	$5,891 (100.0%)	$5,891
2021	$00 (0.0%)	$6,558 (100.0%)	$6,558
2022	$182 (2.9%)	$6,188 (97.1%)	$6,371
2023	$320 (4.7%)	$6,546 (95.3%)	$6,866

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Palm Acres Charter High School

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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 640^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 639^th of 792 High schools	6.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Palm Acres Charter High School)	10	10
9th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	51	50	1%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Palm Acres Charter High School)	21	0	21%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	48	44	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Palm Acres Charter High School)	23	21	2%
End of Course Biology 1 (Lee)	56	47	9%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	61	6%
End of Course US History (Palm Acres Charter High School)	28	25	3%
End of Course US History (Lee)	64	54	10%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Geometry (Palm Acres Charter High School)	0	13	13%
End of Course Geometry (Lee)	50	41	9%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	257	293	14%
African American	74	53	28.4%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	2	100%
Hispanic	118	176	49.2%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	55	55
Two or More Races	8	6	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	46.7%	57.7%	11%

Schools Near Palm Acres Charter High School

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)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (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 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palm Acres Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	507 Sunshine Blvd N	Lehigh Acres	33971	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 333-3300	293	4	73.2	57.7%	55 (18.8%)	53 (18.1%)	176 (60.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.0%)	11.9	669^th of 807 public high schools	17.1%		15.3	639^th of 792 public high schools	19.3%	30	23.0	28.0				11.0	$6,866	$320	$6,546
Gateway High School	Public	9-12	13820 Griffin Dr	Fort Myers	33913	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 303-7480	1,981	76	26.2	50.2%	464 (23.4%)	423 (21.4%)	996 (50.3%)	22 (1.1%)	2 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	70 (3.5%)	41.2	407^th of 807 public high schools	49.6%		43.2	357^th of 792 public high schools	54.9%	50	57.0	55.0	13.0	41.0	55.0	60.0	$7,677	$1,541	$6,137
Lehigh Senior High School	Public	9-12	901 Gunnery Rd N	Lehigh Acres	33971	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 693-5353	2,476	108	23.0	57.4%	299 (12.1%)	731 (29.5%)	1,345 (54.3%)	32 (1.3%)	4 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	61 (2.5%)	28.7	557^th of 807 public high schools	31.0%		28.4	520^th of 792 public high schools	34.3%	37	44.0	44.0	20.0	35.0	48.0	53.0	$9,035	$1,804	$7,232
Donna J. Beasley Technical Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	60 Bell Blvd N	Lehigh Acres	33936	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 476-9100	271	5	54.2	55.0%	64 (23.6%)	45 (16.6%)	151 (55.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	2.4	776^th of 807 public high schools	3.8%		3.8	734^th of 792 public high schools	7.3%	42	13.0	4.0			6.0	6.0	$6,513	$743	$5,770
Riverdale High School	Public	9-12	2600 Buckingham Rd	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 694-4141	1,880	73	25.8	46.7%	820 (43.6%)	149 (7.9%)	848 (45.1%)	26 (1.4%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	30 (1.6%)	36.6	456^th of 807 public high schools	43.5%		42.5	365^th of 792 public high schools	53.9%	91	48.0	51.0	28.0	50.0	52.0	56.0	$8,229	$1,313	$6,917
East Lee County High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	715 Thomas Sherwin Ave S	Lehigh Acres	33974	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	Yes	(239) 369-2932	1,896	82	23.2	61.1%	290 (15.3%)	351 (18.5%)	1,192 (62.9%)	13 (0.7%)	6 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	42 (2.2%)	17.1	649^th of 807 public high schools	19.6%		18.2	618^th of 792 public high schools	22.0%	31	33.0	35.0	9.0	21.0	36.0	48.0	$9,503	$1,957	$7,546
Fort Myers Academy	Public	6-12	2515 Ortiz Avenue	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(239) 334-1102	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Southwest Florida Juvenile Detention Center	Public	5-12	2525 Ortiz Ave	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 332-6927	16	4	4.5	37.5%	4 (25.0%)	7 (43.8%)	5 (31.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Dunbar High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3800 E Edison Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	Yes	(239) 461-5322	1,802	87	20.7	52.9%	181 (10.0%)	540 (30.0%)	1,019 (56.5%)	21 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (2.3%)	23.3	608^th of 807 public high schools	24.7%		16	635^th of 792 public high schools	19.8%	27	39.0	34.0	27.0	34.0	42.0	50.0	$9,908	$2,067	$7,840
Fort Myers Technical College	Public	9-12	3800 Michigan Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 334-4544	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Palm Acres Charter High School

Is Palm Acres Charter High School a good school?

Palm Acres Charter High School ranks in the bottom 17.1% of Florida high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Palm Acres Charter High School?

Students at Palm Acres Charter High School are 60% Hispanic, 19% White, 18% African American, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Palm Acres Charter High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 293 students attended Palm Acres Charter High School.

What district is Palm Acres Charter High School in?

Lee

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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.