Sabal Palm Elementary School

Summary:

Sabal Palm Elementary School is a public elementary school in Tallahassee, Florida, serving 492 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Leon District, which is ranked 48 out of 68 districts in Florida and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Sabal Palm Elementary faces significant challenges, including a student population that is 74.39% African American, consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 41.5% to 62.4%, and consistently lower test scores compared to the Leon District and Florida state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 28% of Sabal Palm's 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 55% at the state level. Similarly, in Math, only 42% of 3rd graders, 35% of 4th graders, and 47% of 5th graders were proficient or better, compared to 60%, 58%, and 56% at the state level, respectively. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 79.13% to 80.08% over the past few years.

When comparing Sabal Palm to nearby schools in the Leon District, it becomes clear that the school is underperforming academically. For example, The School of Arts & Sciences Centre, a public charter school located about 4 miles away, consistently outperforms Sabal Palm across all grade levels and subject areas, with significantly higher proficiency rates. Addressing the root causes of Sabal Palm's high chronic absenteeism and racial disparities, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the school's resource allocation, will be crucial steps in improving student outcomes at the school.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2813 Ridgeway St
Tallahassee, FL 32310

(850) 488-0167

District: Leon

SchoolDigger Rank:
2051^st of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,100

Students who attend Sabal Palm Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	R. Frank Nims Middle School
High:	Amos P. Godby High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 492

Racial breakdown:

African American:

74.4%

Hispanic:

13.0%

White:

8.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 80.1%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Sabal Palm Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sabal Palm Elementary School ranks worse than 90.9% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 25^th among 28 ranked elementary schools in the Leon School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.46. (See more...)

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 Racial makeup is: African American (74.4%), Hispanic (13%), White (8.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 80.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sabal Palm Elementary School is 12.9, which is the 6^th best among 28 elementary schools in the Leon School District. (See more...)

Compare Sabal Palm Elementary School employs 38 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sabal Palm Elementary School is $12,100, which is the 8^th highest among 28 elementary schools in the Leon School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Sabal Palm Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Leon:

SchoolDigger ranks Leon 48^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Sabal Palm Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	40.62	1034^th	1688	38.7%
2007	34.15	1243^rd	1786	30.4%
2008	30.07	1343^rd	1789	24.9%
2009	29.31	1412^th	1847	23.6%
2010	40.49	1226^th	1919	36.1%
2011	31.92	1444^th	1985	27.3%
2012	21.08	1646^th	1984	17.0%
2013	22.00	1676^th	2029	17.4%
2014	11.93	1932^nd	2064	6.4%
2016	18.51	1775^th	2087	14.9%
2017	16.49	1878^th	2112	11.1%
2018	17.06	1852^nd	2118	12.6%
2019	30.95	1567^th	2182	28.2%
2021	13.03	2049^th	2247	8.8%
2022	15.78	1976^th	2219	11.0%
2023	22.74	1807^th	2240	19.3%
2024	14.46	2051^st	2256	9.1%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Thursday, July 12, 2012

Sabal Palm is an older school with many challenges. The population has changed over the years, and it is now the Elementary school with a nearly 100% participation in the Federal Free and Reduced meal program. The families are struggling with unemployment, and all the accompanying stresses.
Despite all of this, the staff remains dedicated to the success of it's students and there are many programs in place aimed at evening the disadvantages these students face. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Sabal Palm Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	550	166	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	716
1989	563	171	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	734
1990	580	208	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	794
1991	568	212	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	787
1992	551	229	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	788
1993	491	258	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	753
1994	460	303	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	767
1995	412	329	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	748
1996	412	329	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	748
1997	382	338	1	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	729
1998	364	338	2	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	712
1999	323	358	2	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	687
2000	270	334	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	613
2001	249	413	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	675
2002	170	445	1	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	628
2003	170	445	1	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	628
2004	149	496	1	22	2	n/a	n/a	0	670
2005	113	516	2	23	2	n/a	n/a	0	656
2006	113	468	1	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	607
2007	84	520	3	28	1	n/a	n/a	35	671
2008	87	575	4	38	0	n/a	n/a	27	731
2009	75	570	7	37	1	n/a	n/a	30	720
2010	39	444	2	40	0	n/a	n/a	16	541
2011	36	455	1	46	2	2	21	0	563
2012	44	437	0	46	3	2	24	0	556
2013	42	415	1	49	3	1	23	0	534
2014	43	422	1	48	2	1	34	0	551
2015	47	413	1	43	2	1	33	0	540
2016	46	422	3	51	1	1	30	0	554
2017	49	371	4	42	1	0	30	0	497
2018	66	374	2	53	1	1	23	0	520
2019	62	403	2	61	1	0	23	0	552
2020	41	420	1	64	1	0	24	0	551
2021	30	364	0	56	0	0	21	0	471
2022	40	334	1	63	0	0	22	0	460
2023	41	366	1	64	0	0	20	0	492

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 Sabal Palm Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	716	38.0	18.8	53.6
1989	734	44.0	16.6	46.6
1990	794	47.0	16.8	46.9
1991	787	45.0	17.4	52
1992	788	44.0	17.9	44.5
1993	753	43.0	17.5	46.7
1994	767	44.0	17.4	52.2
1995	748	35.0	21.4	29.5
1996	748	35.0	21.4	29.5
1997	729	36.0	20.3	32.9
1998	712	37.0	19.2	44.5
1999	687	41.0	16.8	54.1
2000	613	42.0	14.6	71.9
2001	675	42.0	16.1	76.1
2002	628	37.0	17.0	85
2003	628	37.0	17.0	85
2004	670	42.0	16.0	90.4
2005	656	44.0	14.9	94.1
2006	607	43.0	14.1	85.7
2007	671	44.0	15.3	94.8
2008	731	48.5	15.1	78.8
2009	720	55.2	15.0	95.5
2010	541	39.5	13.7	93
2011	563	38.0	14.8	87.6
2012	556	38.0	14.6	99.5
2013	534	37.0	14.4	99.4
2014	551	37.0	14.8	77.3
2015	540	38.0	14.2	55.9
2016	554	38.0	14.5	82.7
2017	497	37.0	13.4	82.1
2018	520	35.0	14.8	86.2
2019	552	38.0	14.5	77.9
2020	551	39.0	14.1	79.9
2021	471	38.0	12.3	79.2
2022	460	37.0	12.4	79.1
2023	492	38.0	12.9	80.1

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 Sabal Palm Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	716	38.0	18.8	53.6
1989	734	44.0	16.6	46.6
1990	794	47.0	16.8	46.9
1991	787	45.0	17.4	52
1992	788	44.0	17.9	44.5
1993	753	43.0	17.5	46.7
1994	767	44.0	17.4	52.2
1995	748	35.0	21.4	29.5
1996	748	35.0	21.4	29.5
1997	729	36.0	20.3	32.9
1998	712	37.0	19.2	44.5
1999	687	41.0	16.8	54.1
2000	613	42.0	14.6	71.9
2001	675	42.0	16.1	76.1
2002	628	37.0	17.0	85
2003	628	37.0	17.0	85
2004	670	42.0	16.0	90.4
2005	656	44.0	14.9	94.1
2006	607	43.0	14.1	85.7
2007	671	44.0	15.3	94.8
2008	731	48.5	15.1	78.8
2009	720	55.2	15.0	95.5
2010	541	39.5	13.7	93
2011	563	38.0	14.8	87.6
2012	556	38.0	14.6	99.5
2013	534	37.0	14.4	99.4
2014	551	37.0	14.8	77.3
2015	540	38.0	14.2	55.9
2016	554	38.0	14.5	82.7
2017	497	37.0	13.4	82.1
2018	520	35.0	14.8	86.2
2019	552	38.0	14.5	77.9
2020	551	39.0	14.1	79.9
2021	471	38.0	12.3	79.2
2022	460	37.0	12.4	79.1
2023	492	38.0	12.9	80.1

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 Sabal Palm Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$923 (11.0%)	$7,462 (89.0%)	$8,385
2019	$1,055 (12.2%)	$7,589 (87.8%)	$8,644
2020	$981 (10.9%)	$8,031 (89.1%)	$9,012
2021	$1,572 (15.1%)	$8,858 (84.9%)	$10,430
2022	$2,205 (18.7%)	$9,597 (81.3%)	$11,800
2023	$2,568 (21.2%)	$9,533 (78.8%)	$12,100

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sabal Palm Elementary 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 1567^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1807^th of 2240 Elementary schools	8.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sabal Palm Elementary School)	42	22	20%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Leon)	61	54	7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sabal Palm Elementary School)	54	44	10%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Leon)	63	57	6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sabal Palm Elementary School)	44	39	5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Leon)	57	54	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sabal Palm Elementary School)	55	43	12%
4th Grade Mathematics (Leon)	66	58	8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sabal Palm Elementary School)	39	29	10%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Leon)	56	55	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sabal Palm Elementary School)	58	27	31%
5th Grade Mathematics (Leon)	61	48	13%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Sabal Palm Elementary School)	42	23	19%
5th Grade Science (Leon)	54	50	4%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	552	492	10.9%
African American	403	366	9.2%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	61	64	4.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	62	41	33.9%
Two or More Races	23	20	13%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77.9%	80.1%	2.2%

Schools Near Sabal Palm Elementary 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)						FAST Math (2024)						Statewide Science Science (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (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 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sabal Palm Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2813 Ridgeway St	Tallahassee	32310	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-0167	492	38	12.9	80.1%	41 (8.3%)	366 (74.4%)	64 (13.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.1%)	14.5	2051^st of 2256 public elementary schools	9.1%		22.7	1807^th of 2240 public elementary schools	19.3%	244	28.0	28.0	27.0				42.0	35.0	47.0				26.0					$12,100	$2,568	$9,533
Leon County Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual	K-8	283 Trojan Trail	Tallahassee	32311	Leon County	Leon	No	No	Yes	No	(850) 487-7100	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pineview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2230 Lake Bradford Rd	Tallahassee	32310	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-2819	362	29	12.4	82.6%	14 (3.9%)	299 (82.6%)	31 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.7%)	41.2	1310^th of 2256 public elementary schools	41.9%		25.9	1724^th of 2240 public elementary schools	23.0%	414	53.0	36.0	55.0				60.0	64.0	46.0				32.0					$13,737	$2,847	$10,891
Bond Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2204 Saxon St	Tallahassee	32310	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-7676	536	37	14.4	84.3%	10 (1.9%)	466 (86.9%)	35 (6.5%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.4%)	48.3	1129^th of 2256 public elementary schools	50.0%		46.6	1175^th of 2240 public elementary schools	47.5%	46	53.0	51.0	39.0				67.0	60.0	58.0				43.0					$12,799	$2,945	$9,854
John G Riley Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1400 Indiana St	Tallahassee	32304	Leon County	Leon	No	Yes	No	Yes	(850) 488-5840	528	31	17.0	81.3%	24 (4.5%)	399 (75.6%)	64 (12.1%)	11 (2.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.1%)	13.5	2068^th of 2256 public elementary schools	8.3%		19.2	1925^th of 2240 public elementary schools	14.1%	143	33.0	23.0	31.0				42.0	32.0	43.0				28.0					$11,622	$3,134	$8,487
Astoria Park Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2465 Atlas Rd	Tallahassee	32303	Leon County	Leon	No	Yes	No	Yes	(850) 488-4673	527	32	16.4	80.5%	25 (4.7%)	448 (85.0%)	25 (4.7%)	4 (0.8%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.8%)	21.2	1874^th of 2256 public elementary schools	16.9%		17.9	1961^st of 2240 public elementary schools	12.5%	87	37.0	34.0	38.0				57.0	41.0	31.0				25.0					$11,415	$2,828	$8,588
Ruediger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	526 W 10th Ave	Tallahassee	32303	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-1074	484	35	13.8	72.3%	41 (8.5%)	352 (72.7%)	53 (11.0%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.8%)	26.2	1736^th of 2256 public elementary schools	23.0%		23.2	1793^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	20.0%	57	34.0	39.0	49.0				45.0	34.0	43.0				47.0					$11,692	$2,435	$9,256
The School Of Arts & Sciences Centre	Public, Charter	K-8	2415 N Monroe St	Tallahassee	32303	Leon County	Leon	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 386-6566	447	39	11.4	14.1%	252 (56.4%)	84 (18.8%)	48 (10.7%)	24 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	37 (8.3%)	59.8	867^th of 2256 public elementary schools	61.6%		67.2	684^th of 2240 public elementary schools	69.5%	183	70.0	53.0	55.0	83.0	77.0	59.0	68.0	54.0	54.0	50.0	78.0	45.0	50.0	61.0	70.0		85.0	$8,148	$662	$7,486
Oak Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4530 Shelfer Rd	Tallahassee	32305	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-3124	419	29	14.4	81.9%	30 (7.2%)	322 (76.8%)	48 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.5%)	20.7	1886^th of 2256 public elementary schools	16.4%		9.7	2142^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	4.4%	256	31.0	23.0	27.0				67.0	40.0	41.0				22.0					$11,809	$2,441	$9,368
Tallahassee School Of Math & Sciences	Public, Charter	K-8	3434 N Monroe St	Tallahassee	32303	Leon County	Leon	Yes	No	No	Yes	(850) 681-7827	568	28	20.2	51.8%	127 (22.4%)	285 (50.2%)	109 (19.2%)	12 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	30 (5.3%)	28.1	1679^th of 2256 public elementary schools	25.6%		39.6	1344^th of 2240 public elementary schools	40.0%	335	51.0	41.0	52.0	43.0	40.0	54.0	51.0	41.0	32.0	30.0	63.0	33.0	36.0	15.0	62.0	86.0	75.0	$9,908	$1,937	$7,971

Frequently Asked Questions about Sabal Palm Elementary School

Is Sabal Palm Elementary School a good school?

Sabal Palm Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.1% of Florida elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Sabal Palm Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sabal Palm Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : R. Frank Nims Middle School
High : Amos P. Godby High School

How many students attend Sabal Palm Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 492 students attended Sabal Palm Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Sabal Palm Elementary School?

Students at Sabal Palm Elementary School are 74% African American, 13% Hispanic, 8% White, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Sabal Palm Elementary School in?

Leon

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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.