Is Dale Cassens Education Complex a good school?

Dale Cassens Education Complex ranks in the bottom 2.2% of Florida alternative schools.

How many students attend Dale Cassens Education Complex?

In the 2022-23 school year, 271 students attended Dale Cassens Education Complex.

What is the racial makeup of Dale Cassens Education Complex?

Students at Dale Cassens Education Complex are 59% African American, 23% Hispanic, 11% White, 5% Two or more races.

Dale Cassens Education Complex

Summary:

Dale Cassens Education Complex is an alternative public school in Fort Pierce, Florida, serving 271 students in grades PK-12. As part of the St. Lucie School District, which is ranked 47th out of 68 districts in the state, Dale Cassens faces significant challenges in student demographics, academic performance, and other key metrics.

The student population at Dale Cassens is predominantly African American (59.41%), with significant Hispanic (22.88%) and White (11.44%) representation, which is notably different from the nearby schools, such as St. Lucie Virtual Instruction Program, Mosaic Digital Academy, and Independence Classical Academy, which tend to have higher percentages of White students. Additionally, Dale Cassens has struggled with extremely low graduation rates, ranging from 0% to 11.8% over the past 5 years, and high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 67.2% to 79%, both of which are significantly worse than state and district averages.

Academically, Dale Cassens students perform significantly below the state and district averages across various standardized tests and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 0% proficiency in Algebra 1, 6% in Geometry, and 16% in 10th grade English Language Arts, compared to state averages of 55%, 53%, and 53%, respectively. This poor academic performance may be linked to the high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 72.8% to 82.29% over the past 3 years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Detail:

Public, Alternative PK, KG-12

1905 S 11th St
Fort Pierce, FL 34950

(772) 468-5190

District: St. Lucie

SchoolDigger Rank:
1170^th of 1,196 Florida Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $26,184

Student/teacher ratio: 9.0

Number of students: 271

Racial breakdown:

African American:

59.4%

Hispanic:

22.9%

White:

11.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Dale Cassens Education Complex to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dale Cassens Education Complex is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2022 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.1. (See more...)

Compare Details Dale Cassens Education Complex ranks worse than 97.8% of middle schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.07. (See more...)

Compare Details Dale Cassens Education Complex ranks worse than 96.3% of high schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.36. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Dale Cassens Education Complex freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 (59.4%), Hispanic (22.9%), White (11.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the St. Lucie School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dale Cassens Education Complex is 9, which is the lowest among 5 alternative schools in the St. Lucie School District! (See more...)

Compare Dale Cassens Education Complex employs 30 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dale Cassens Education Complex is $26,184, which is the highest among 5 alternative schools in the St. Lucie School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Dale Cassens Education Complex was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Dale Cassens Education Complex 1170^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Dale Cassens Education Complex in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Dale Cassens Education Complex 777^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Dale Cassens Education Complex in the ranking list.)

St. Lucie:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Lucie 47^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dale Cassens Education Complex

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2019	0.50	2177^th	2182	0.2%
2021	1.43	2241^st	2247	0.3%
2022	2.10	2206^th	2219	0.6%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Dale Cassens Education Complex

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2007	3.72	700^th	736	4.9%
2008	3.74	703^rd	740	5.0%
2009	4.00	737^th	780	5.5%
2010	4.59	786^th	839	6.3%
2011	6.42	819^th	891	8.1%
2012	4.30	848^th	897	5.5%
2013	2.76	929^th	956	2.8%
2014	2.57	961^st	999	3.8%
2016	3.56	964^th	997	3.3%
2017	4.75	986^th	1031	4.4%
2018	8.51	967^th	1035	6.6%
2019	4.74	1053^rd	1099	4.2%
2021	4.58	1119^th	1136	1.5%
2022	4.26	1118^th	1148	2.6%
2023	2.41	1165^th	1177	1.0%
2024	3.07	1170^th	1196	2.2%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Dale Cassens Education Complex

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2007	12.04	479^th	563	14.9%
2008	11.20	495^th	577	14.2%
2009	7.64	528^th	587	10.1%
2010	9.09	550^th	620	11.3%
2011	8.61	556^th	622	10.6%
2012	5.60	559^th	606	7.8%
2013	3.34	605^th	648	6.6%
2014	1.90	677^th	687	1.5%
2016	4.04	644^th	693	7.1%
2017	4.37	650^th	714	9.0%
2018	7.62	609^th	716	14.9%
2019	4.17	660^th	734	10.1%
2021	2.82	711^th	746	4.7%
2022	2.31	748^th	774	3.4%
2023	2.93	759^th	792	4.2%
2024	2.36	777^th	807	3.7%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative 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 Dale Cassens Education Complex

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2005	38	87	0	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	133
2006	63	102	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	179
2007	36	74	0	19	0	n/a	n/a	5	134
2008	41	73	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	5	133
2009	46	52	0	12	0	n/a	n/a	5	115
2010	67	134	2	26	0	n/a	n/a	9	238
2011	64	130	1	38	0	0	0	0	233
2012	74	178	2	40	0	0	10	0	304
2013	79	140	1	44	0	0	17	0	281
2014	51	179	0	45	1	0	9	0	285
2015	50	153	1	54	1	0	7	0	266
2016	37	136	1	58	1	1	8	0	242
2017	37	123	0	31	0	0	2	0	193
2018	44	112	1	37	0	0	5	0	199
2019	43	143	1	49	1	0	10	0	247
2020	47	139	1	46	1	1	12	0	247
2021	33	131	2	43	2	0	15	0	226
2022	29	134	2	60	1	0	13	0	239
2023	31	161	1	62	2	0	14	0	271

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 Dale Cassens Education Complex

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	133	8.0	16.6	45.1
2006	179	11.0	16.3	63.7
2007	134	9.0	14.9	73.6
2008	133	10.0	13.3	61.7
2009	115	13.1	10.5	57.3
2010	238	17.0	14.0	78.2
2011	233	16.0	14.5	77.3
2012	304	25.0	12.1	79.9
2013	281	26.0	10.8	78.3
2014	285	23.0	12.3	82.1
2015	266	25.0	10.6	64.7
2016	242	28.0	8.6	76.9
2017	193	23.0	8.3	75.1
2018	199	27.0	7.3	76.4
2019	247	29.0	8.5	75.7
2020	247	28.0	8.8	58.3
2021	226	25.0	9.0	79.6
2022	239	24.0	9.9	72.8
2023	271	30.0	9.0	82.3

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 Dale Cassens Education Complex

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	133	8.0	16.6	45.1
2006	179	11.0	16.3	63.7
2007	134	9.0	14.9	73.6
2008	133	10.0	13.3	61.7
2009	115	13.1	10.5	57.3
2010	238	17.0	14.0	78.2
2011	233	16.0	14.5	77.3
2012	304	25.0	12.1	79.9
2013	281	26.0	10.8	78.3
2014	285	23.0	12.3	82.1
2015	266	25.0	10.6	64.7
2016	242	28.0	8.6	76.9
2017	193	23.0	8.3	75.1
2018	199	27.0	7.3	76.4
2019	247	29.0	8.5	75.7
2020	247	28.0	8.8	58.3
2021	226	25.0	9.0	79.6
2022	239	24.0	9.9	72.8
2023	271	30.0	9.0	82.3

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 Dale Cassens Education Complex

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,894 (9.4%)	$18,195 (90.6%)	$20,089
2019	$1,760 (10.7%)	$14,751 (89.3%)	$16,511
2020	$1,754 (9.1%)	$17,480 (90.9%)	$19,234
2022	$3,929 (14.8%)	$22,654 (85.2%)	$26,582
2023	$3,921 (15.0%)	$22,263 (85.0%)	$26,184

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dale Cassens Education Complex

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 2177^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 2206^th of 2219 Elementary schools	0.4%
Ranks 1053^rd of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 1165^th of 1177 Middle schools	3.2%
Ranks 660^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 759^th of 792 High schools	5.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	0	11	11%
6th Grade English Language Arts (St. Lucie)	51	49	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	0	7	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (St. Lucie)	47	42	5%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	9	13	4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (St. Lucie)	49	43	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	6	11	5%
7th Grade Mathematics (St. Lucie)	50	41	9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	11	5	6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (St. Lucie)	54	45	9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	7	5	2%
8th Grade Mathematics (St. Lucie)	34	26	8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	14	3	11%
8th Grade Science (St. Lucie)	48	41	7%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	15	7	8%
9th Grade English Language Arts (St. Lucie)	54	50	4%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	18	14	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (St. Lucie)	51	46	5%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	16	13	3%
End of Course Biology 1 (St. Lucie)	71	61	10%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	21	26	5%
End of Course US History (St. Lucie)	69	59	10%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Civics (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	12	7	5%
End of Course Civics (St. Lucie)	68	61	7%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	19	6	13%
End of Course Algebra 1 (St. Lucie)	51	49	2%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Dale Cassens Education Complex)	15	0	15%
End of Course Geometry (St. Lucie)	55	39	16%
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	247	271	9.7%
African American	143	161	12.6%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	49	62	26.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	43	31	27.9%
Two or More Races	10	14	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	75.7%	82.3%	6.6%

Schools Near Dale Cassens Education Complex

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	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 English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th 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 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
Dale Cassens Education Complex	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1905 S 11th St	Fort Pierce	34950	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	No	No	Yes	(772) 468-5190	271	30	9.0	82.3%	31 (11.4%)	161 (59.4%)	62 (22.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.2%)								(n/a)				0.0	8.0	7.0	0.0	16.0				7.0	14.0	7.0		5.0	0.0	6.0	7.0	10.0	13.0	$26,184	$3,921	$22,263
St. Lucie Detention Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	1301 Bell Ave	Fort Pierce	34982	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	No	No	No	(772) 468-5194	39	3	13.0	35.9%	11 (28.2%)	21 (53.8%)	6 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)								(n/a)
Independence Classical Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2902 S. Jenkins Road	Fort Pierce	34981	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	Yes	No	No	Yes	(772) 837-9300	418	30	14.0	65.8%	299 (71.5%)	14 (3.3%)	72 (17.2%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.5%)								(n/a)	46.0	42.0	44.0	37.0	30.0	50.0			39.0	44.0	26.0	32.0	43.0	68.0	31.0	50.0						$9,031	$546	$8,486
Homebound Program	Public, Alternative	K-12	9461 Brandywine Ln	Port St Lucie	34986	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	No	No	No	(772) 429-4570	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
St. Lucie Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	12051 NW Copper Creek Dr	Port St Lucie	34987	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	No	Yes	Yes	(772) 429-3913	25	0		12.0%	15 (60.0%)	5 (20.0%)	4 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.0%)								(n/a)																						$10,538	$855	$9,683
Mosaic Digital Academy K-12	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	9461 Brandywine Ln	Port St Lucie	34986	St. Lucie County	St. Lucie	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(772) 429-5504																			(n/a)
Indian River Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	6055 62nd Lane	Vero Beach	32960	Indian River County	Indian River	No	No	Yes	No	(772) 564-3045	57	0		38.6%	36 (63.2%)	10 (17.5%)	9 (15.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.5%)								(n/a)																						$6,245	$39	$6,206
Ese Homebound	Public, Alternative	4-12	1939 SE Federal Hwy	Stuart	34994	Martin County	Martin	No	No	No	No	(772) 219-1200	8	0			2 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Martin Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1939 S.E. Federal Hwy	Stuart	34994	Martin County	Martin	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(772) 219-1200	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Dale Cassens Education Complex

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Rank History for Dale Cassens Education Complex

Rank History for Dale Cassens Education Complex

Rank History for Dale Cassens Education Complex

Enrollment information for Dale Cassens Education Complex

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dale Cassens Education Complex

Student/Teacher Ratio Dale Cassens Education Complex

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dale Cassens Education Complex

Impact of COVID-19 on Dale Cassens Education Complex

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Dale Cassens Education Complex