Surprised? Poverty Factors In To School Grades

The Florida Department of Education has released 2013 preliminary school grades for elementary and middle schools. Schools with a critical mass of students qualifying for free- and reduced-price meals had the lowest grades overall.

• See School Grades Released Amid Controversy

• 60 "A" grades

• 51 "B" grades

• 57 "C" grades

• 41 "D" grades

• Five "F" grades

• Fifty-six percent of the districts "D" grades — and all but one of its "F" grades — were registered among the 54 schools that had a poverty rate of 90 percent or higher. In the category, there were four "F" grades, 23 "D" grades and 21 "C" grades. Five schools scored a "B" or higher (see below).
  

• In contrast, 57 percent of the district's "A" grades went to schools that had a poverty rate of 36 percent or less. Overall in the category, there were 44 schools; 40 were graded "B" or higher. One school received no grade and three schools received a "C" grade (see below). 
  

• Alexander and Wimauma elementary schools (with 95 and 91 percent free- or reduced-price lunch rates, respectively) were the only two schools in the 90- percent or-higher category to receive an "A" grade from the state. The only "B" grade recipients: Graham (97 percent), Oak Grove (92 percent) and Pizzo (90 percent).
  

• Only three schools with rates below 37 percent had "C" grades or lower, and they were not traditional elementary or middle schools. (The schools were Kids Community College, Shiloh Elementary Charter School and Trinity School for Children, lower division.)