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Pioneer Career Academy

Summary:

Pioneer Career Academy is an alternative public school located in Zolfo Springs, Florida, serving grades 4-12 with a total enrollment of just 29 students. As part of the Hardee School District, which is ranked 55th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating, Pioneer Career Academy faces significant challenges in supporting its predominantly Hispanic student population.

The school's student body is 68.97% Hispanic, significantly higher than the nearby Hardee Virtual Franchise (41.67% Hispanic) and other schools in the DeSoto district (46.38% Hispanic at DeSoto Secondary School and 39.62% Hispanic at DeSoto Virtual Academy). This suggests that Pioneer Career Academy may be serving a more disadvantaged population. The school also has an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 95.1%, much higher than the nearby Hardee Virtual Franchise (5.9%) and other nearby schools.

Academically, Pioneer Career Academy is significantly underperforming, with only 9% of students proficient or better in EOC/Algebra 1, compared to 35% in the Hardee district and 55% statewide. Similarly, only 18% of 10th-grade students were proficient or better in FAST/English Language Arts, compared to 43% in the Hardee district and 53% statewide. The school's four-year graduation rate was just 45.5% in 2018-2019, much lower than the nearby Hardee Virtual Franchise (60.0% in 2022-2023) and the state average. Despite these challenges, Pioneer Career Academy has a relatively high spending per student, ranging from $15,781 to $25,318 per year, suggesting the need for a more effective allocation of resources to support student learning and address the underlying causes of the school's poor performance.


Detail:

Public 5-12

 200 S Florida Ave
       Wauchula, FL  33873

(863) 735-2300

District: Hardee

SchoolDigger Rank:
703rd of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,781 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  44.0 Help
Number of students:  44

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
72.7%
White:
13.6%
African American:
13.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  90.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Pioneer Career Academy ranks worse than 87.1% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Hardee School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.28. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Pioneer Career Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
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
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Compare Details Pioneer Career Academy has the smallest high school student body size in the Hardee School District. Student population at Pioneer Career Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (72.7%), African American (13.6%), White (13.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 90.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Hardee School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pioneer Career Academy is 44, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Hardee School District! (See more...)
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Compare Pioneer Career Academy employs 1 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pioneer Career Academy is $15,781, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Hardee School District!
Schooldigger Rankings:

Pioneer Career Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Pioneer Career Academy 703rd of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Pioneer Career Academy in the ranking list.)

Hardee:

SchoolDigger ranks Hardee 55th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Pioneer Career Academy

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 6.28 703rd 807 12.9%
See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

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

Pioneer Career Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    




Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Pioneer Career Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1995 10 11 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 27
1996 10 11 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 27
1997 8 2 0 5 0 n/a n/a 0 15
1998 10 3 0 15 0 n/a n/a 0 28
1999 5 0 0 14 0 n/a n/a 0 19
2000 7 2 0 16 0 n/a n/a 0 25
2001 11 3 0 8 0 n/a n/a 0 22
2002 8 3 0 14 0 n/a n/a 0 25
2003 8 3 0 14 0 n/a n/a 0 25
2004 10 3 0 9 0 n/a n/a 0 22
2005 4 2 0 9 0 n/a n/a 0 15
2006 8 1 1 6 0 n/a n/a 0 16
2007 5 5 0 5 0 n/a n/a 0 15
2008 5 0 0 15 0 n/a n/a 0 20
2009 7 2 0 9 0 n/a n/a 0 18
2010 10 0 0 8 0 n/a n/a 0 18
2011 2 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 8
2012 3 2 0 11 0 0 0 0 16
2013 2 1 0 11 0 0 0 0 14
2014 6 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 16
2015 5 4 0 7 0 0 0 0 16
2016 4 1 0 12 0 0 0 0 17
2017 5 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 11
2018 4 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 10
2019 6 1 1 12 0 1 0 0 21
2020 1 2 0 18 0 0 0 0 21
2021 3 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 18
2022 6 0 0 14 0 1 0 0 21
2023 4 4 0 20 0 0 1 0 29
2024 6 6 0 32 0 0 0 0 44

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 Pioneer Career Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 27 2.0 13.5 29.6
1996 27 2.0 13.5 29.6
1997 15 0.0 0.0 26.7
1998 28 0.0 0.0 78.6
1999 19 2.0 9.5 84.2
2000 25 3.0 8.3 84
2001 22 3.0 7.3 86.4
2002 25 4.0 6.3 84
2003 25 4.0 6.3 84
2004 22 4.0 5.5 86.4
2005 15 4.0 3.8 66.7
2006 16 4.0 4.0 43.8
2007 15 4.0 3.8 73.3
2008 20 4.0 5.0 40
2009 18 4.3 4.5 33.3
2010 18 4.0 4.5 66.7
2011 8 3.0 2.6 62.5
2012 16 3.0 5.3 56.3
2013 14 3.0 4.6 78.6
2014 16 3.0 5.3 81.3
2015 16 3.0 5.3 100
2016 17 2.0 8.5 58.8
2017 11 3.0 3.6 63.6
2018 10 3.0 3.3 80
2019 21 1.6 13.0 66.7
2020 21 1.3 15.1 81
2021 18 2.0 9.0 66.7
2022 21 1.0 21.0 71.4
2023 29 1.0 29.0 100
2024 44 1.0 44.0 90.9

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 Pioneer Career Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 27 2.0 13.5 29.6
1996 27 2.0 13.5 29.6
1997 15 0.0 0.0 26.7
1998 28 0.0 0.0 78.6
1999 19 2.0 9.5 84.2
2000 25 3.0 8.3 84
2001 22 3.0 7.3 86.4
2002 25 4.0 6.3 84
2003 25 4.0 6.3 84
2004 22 4.0 5.5 86.4
2005 15 4.0 3.8 66.7
2006 16 4.0 4.0 43.8
2007 15 4.0 3.8 73.3
2008 20 4.0 5.0 40
2009 18 4.3 4.5 33.3
2010 18 4.0 4.5 66.7
2011 8 3.0 2.6 62.5
2012 16 3.0 5.3 56.3
2013 14 3.0 4.6 78.6
2014 16 3.0 5.3 81.3
2015 16 3.0 5.3 100
2016 17 2.0 8.5 58.8
2017 11 3.0 3.6 63.6
2018 10 3.0 3.3 80
2019 21 1.6 13.0 66.7
2020 21 1.3 15.1 81
2021 18 2.0 9.0 66.7
2022 21 1.0 21.0 71.4
2023 29 1.0 29.0 100
2024 44 1.0 44.0 90.9

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 Pioneer Career Academy

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,738 (9.4%) $16,767 (90.6%) $18,505
2020 $659 (3.8%) $16,547 (96.2%) $17,206
2021 $1,655 (6.5%) $23,663 (93.5%) $25,318
2022 $2,223 (13.7%) $14,048 (86.3%) $16,272
2023 $5,719 (36.2%) $10,062 (63.8%) $15,781

Data source: Florida Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pioneer Career Academy

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.

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students2129
 38.1%
African American14
 300%
American Indian00
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic1220
 66.7%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White64
 33.3%
Two or More Races01
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients66.7%100%
 33.3%

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Frequently Asked Questions about Pioneer Career Academy

In the 2023-24 school year, 44 students attended Pioneer Career Academy.

Students at Pioneer Career Academy are 73% Hispanic, 14% White, 14% African American.

Pioneer Career Academy ranks in the bottom 12.9% of Florida high schools.


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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.




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