Bradford

The Bradford school district in Florida consists of 6 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school, serving students from pre-K through 12th grade. While the district faces some challenges, such as below-average test scores and high chronic absenteeism rates, one school, Lawtey Elementary School, stands out as a top performer, ranking 955 out of 2,256 Florida elementary schools and earning a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Lawtey Elementary School boasts the highest proficiency rates on state assessments across grades 3-6 in both English Language Arts and Math, outperforming the Bradford district and state averages. Additionally, Lawtey has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (31%) among the elementary schools, a significant advantage compared to the district's other schools, which range from 30.3% at Starke Elementary to 69.3% at Rainbow Center. This high rate of chronic absenteeism is a major concern across the district and likely contributes to the lower academic performance observed in many of the schools.

While the district faces challenges, such as a 4-year graduation rate of 83.3% at Bradford High School that falls below the state average, and high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 53.3% at Bradford High School to 70.7% at Southside Elementary, the standout performance of Lawtey Elementary School provides a model for the district to build upon and potentially replicate across its other schools.