The Children's Reading Center

Q: Is The Children's Reading Center a good school?

The Children's Reading Center ranks 307 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

The Children's Reading Center is a public charter elementary school in Palatka, Florida, serving 257 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Putnam District, which is ranked 59 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The Children's Reading Center consistently outperforms the Putnam District and the state of Florida in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 92% of 6th-grade students were proficient or better in FAST/Math, compared to 60% in the Putnam District and 56% statewide. The school's 5th-grade science proficiency rate was 82%, significantly higher than the Putnam District's 38% and the state's 53%. The Children's Reading Center has a strong track record of high rankings and ratings from SchoolDigger, ranking 93 out of 2,240 Florida elementary schools and receiving a 5-star rating in the 2022-2023 school year, in contrast to the lower-performing nearby schools like McRae Elementary School and South Woods Elementary School.

The student population at The Children's Reading Center is more racially diverse compared to the nearby schools, with a higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.1% in 2019-2020 to 27.7% in 2022-2023, which is an area of concern that the school should address. Overall, The Children's Reading Center appears to be a high-performing school that is providing a quality education to its diverse student population, but the school should continue to monitor and address the concerning trend of increasing chronic absenteeism.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-6

7901 Saint Johns Ave
Palatka, FL 32177

(386) 326-2762

District: Putnam

SchoolDigger Rank:
307^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,318

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 257

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.3%

African American:

22.6%

Two or more races:

7.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details The Children's Reading Center ranks better than 86.4% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks first among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Putnam School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.54. (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: White (62.3%), African American (22.6%), two or more races (7.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at The Children's Reading Center is $9,318. 8 elementary schools in the Putnam School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

The Children's Reading Center was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Putnam:

SchoolDigger ranks Putnam 59^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for The Children's Reading Center

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2007	35.82	1210^th	1786	32.3%
2008	22.47	1471^st	1789	17.8%
2009	38.26	1230^th	1847	33.4%
2010	74.99	438^th	1919	77.2%
2011	55.34	943^rd	1985	52.5%
2012	54.22	905^th	1984	54.4%
2013	71.98	521^st	2029	74.3%
2014	71.83	531^st	2064	74.3%
2016	67.03	674^th	2087	67.7%
2017	87.27	217^th	2112	89.7%
2018	83.95	319^th	2118	84.9%
2019	81.89	355^th	2182	83.7%
2021	88.73	223^rd	2247	90.1%
2022	90.90	157^th	2219	92.9%
2023	93.12	93^rd	2240	95.8%
2024	84.54	307^th	2256	86.4%

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

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Enrollment information for The Children's Reading Center

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2004	34	38	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	74
2005	24	30	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	56
2006	66	44	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	116
2007	58	57	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	4	124
2008	58	54	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	9	131
2009	78	48	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	10	142
2010	84	60	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	10	164
2011	88	74	8	9	1	0	4	0	184
2012	105	75	5	5	1	0	5	0	196
2013	118	72	3	9	0	0	6	0	208
2014	125	69	3	8	0	0	10	0	215
2015	120	67	4	10	0	0	14	0	215
2016	130	66	2	11	0	0	17	0	226
2017	148	64	3	11	0	0	14	0	240
2018	156	61	3	7	0	0	15	0	242
2019	160	55	5	9	0	0	17	0	246
2020	155	61	2	11	0	0	14	0	243
2021	155	57	2	8	1	0	11	0	234
2022	154	56	2	15	0	0	16	0	243
2023	160	58	2	17	0	0	20	0	257

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 The Children's Reading Center

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	74	3.0	24.7	66.2
2005	56	2.0	28.0	76.8
2006	116	1.0	116.0	62.1
2007	124	4.0	31.0	64.2
2008	131	5.0	26.2	59.8
2009	142	4.0	35.5	63.6
2010	164	3.0	54.6	70.1
2011	184	14.0	13.1	71.2
2012	196	14.0	14.0	61.2
2013	208	14.0	14.8	54.8
2014	215	14.0	15.3	55.8
2015	215	14.0	15.3	51.6
2016	226	14.0	16.1	54.4
2017	240	17.0	14.1	47.5
2018	242	11.0	22.0	40.9
2019	246	10.0	24.6	44.3
2020	243	10.0	24.3	39.1
2021	234	14.0	16.7	28.6
2022	243	15.0	16.2	37.4
2023	257	0.0	n/a	42.4

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 The Children's Reading Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	74	3.0	24.7	66.2
2005	56	2.0	28.0	76.8
2006	116	1.0	116.0	62.1
2007	124	4.0	31.0	64.2
2008	131	5.0	26.2	59.8
2009	142	4.0	35.5	63.6
2010	164	3.0	54.6	70.1
2011	184	14.0	13.1	71.2
2012	196	14.0	14.0	61.2
2013	208	14.0	14.8	54.8
2014	215	14.0	15.3	55.8
2015	215	14.0	15.3	51.6
2016	226	14.0	16.1	54.4
2017	240	17.0	14.1	47.5
2018	242	11.0	22.0	40.9
2019	246	10.0	24.6	44.3
2020	243	10.0	24.3	39.1
2021	234	14.0	16.7	28.6
2022	243	15.0	16.2	37.4
2023	257	0.0	n/a	42.4

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 The Children's Reading Center

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$307 (4.7%)	$6,241 (95.3%)	$6,548
2019	$309 (5.4%)	$5,376 (94.6%)	$5,685
2020	$370 (4.7%)	$7,582 (95.3%)	$7,952
2021	$803 (10.2%)	$7,067 (89.8%)	$7,870
2022	$1,677 (18.7%)	$7,294 (81.3%)	$8,971
2023	$3,600 (38.6%)	$5,718 (61.4%)	$9,318

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on The Children's Reading Center

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 355^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 93^rd of 2240 Elementary schools	12.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (The Children's Reading Center)	71	69	2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Putnam)	41	34	7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (The Children's Reading Center)	74	85	11%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Putnam)	46	41	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (The Children's Reading Center)	76	93	17%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Putnam)	43	49	6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (The Children's Reading Center)	78	87	9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Putnam)	53	52	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (The Children's Reading Center)	69	74	5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Putnam)	42	42
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (The Children's Reading Center)	93	88	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Putnam)	44	37	7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (The Children's Reading Center)	62	90	28%
5th Grade Science (Putnam)	38	42	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	246	257	4.5%
African American	55	58	5.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	2	60%
Hispanic	9	17	88.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	160	160
Two or More Races	17	20	17.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44.3%	42.4%	1.9%

Schools Near The Children's Reading Center

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)	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 Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
The Children's Reading Center	Public, Charter	K-6	7901 Saint Johns Ave	Palatka	32177	Putnam County	Putnam	Yes	No	No	Yes	(386) 326-2762	257	0	16.2	42.4%	160 (62.3%)	58 (22.6%)	17 (6.6%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.8%)	84.5	307^th of 2256 public elementary schools	86.4%		93.1	93^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	95.8%	214	67.0	76.0	68.0	92.0	62.0	88.0	74.0	96.0	82.0	$9,318	$3,600	$5,718
Kelley Smith Elementary School	Public	K-6	141 Kelley Smith School Rd	Palatka	32177	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 329-0568	753	44	17.1	54.3%	434 (57.6%)	233 (30.9%)	52 (6.9%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (3.9%)	48	1138^th of 2256 public elementary schools	49.6%		53.8	996^th of 2240 public elementary schools	55.5%	142	44.0	56.0	46.0	56.0	47.0	74.0	51.0	75.0	45.0	$10,901	$3,149	$7,753
William D. Moseley Elementary School	Public	K-6	1100 Husson Ave	Palatka	32177	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 329-0562	609	34	17.9	75.2%	151 (24.8%)	335 (55.0%)	79 (13.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (6.6%)	13.1	2084^th of 2256 public elementary schools	7.6%		12.7	2088^th of 2240 public elementary schools	6.8%	4	33.0	22.0	41.0	43.0	27.0	29.0	29.0	45.0	24.0	$10,958	$3,263	$7,695
James A. Long Elementary School	Public	K-6	1400 Old Jacksonville Rd	Palatka	32177	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 329-0575	552	30	18.4	66.1%	296 (53.6%)	201 (36.4%)	35 (6.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.3%)	24.6	1776^th of 2256 public elementary schools	21.3%		29.7	1618^th of 2240 public elementary schools	27.8%	158	23.0	49.0	48.0	56.0	24.0	41.0	34.0	48.0	36.0	$11,232	$3,176	$8,055
Putnam Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual	K-5	200 Reid St	Palatka	32177	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	Yes	No	(386) 329-0536	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Putnam Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)	Public, Virtual	K-5	200 Reid St	Palatka	32177	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	Yes	No	(386) 329-0536	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Browning-Pearce Elementary School	Public	K-6	100 Bear Blvd	San Mateo	32187	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 329-0557	660	38	17.3	71.5%	393 (59.5%)	113 (17.1%)	105 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.1%)	23.9	1802^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	20.1%		25.9	1722^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	23.1%	80	41.0	32.0	42.0	63.0	37.0	31.0	31.0	65.0	29.0	$11,770	$3,492	$8,279
Robert H. Jenkins Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	251 S State Road 315	Interlachen	32148	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 684-2130	904	47	19.3	63.9%	662 (73.2%)	39 (4.3%)	156 (17.3%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (4.5%)	28.2	1678^th of 2256 public elementary schools	25.6%		34.1	1494^th of 2240 public elementary schools	33.3%	184	43.0	31.0	38.0	48.0	42.0	44.0	43.0	61.0	38.0	$10,209	$2,995	$7,214
South Woods Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4750 Sr 206 W	Elkton	32033	St. Johns County	St. Johns	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 547-8610	689	52	13.2	66.5%	476 (69.1%)	100 (14.5%)	63 (9.1%)	6 (0.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.0%)	34	1516^th of 2256 public elementary schools	32.8%		22.5	1815^th of 2240 public elementary schools	19.0%	299	47.0	51.0	33.0		48.0	53.0	43.0		44.0	$12,791	$2,587	$10,203
McRae Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	6770 County Road 315 C	Keystone Heights	32656	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 336-6125	536	43	12.4	100.0%	475 (88.6%)	7 (1.3%)	34 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.5%)	71.5	608^th of 2256 public elementary schools	73.0%		80.5	396^th of 2240 public elementary schools	82.3%	212	67.0	57.0	61.0	62.0	66.0	69.0	76.0	64.0	73.0	$11,789	$1,999	$9,790

Frequently Asked Questions about The Children's Reading Center

Is The Children's Reading Center a good school?

The Children's Reading Center ranks 307^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is The Children's Reading Center in?

Putnam

What is the racial makeup of The Children's Reading Center?

Students at The Children's Reading Center are 62% White, 23% African American, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.

How many students attend The Children's Reading Center?

In the 2022-23 school year, 257 students attended The Children's Reading Center.

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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.