Romeo Elementary School

Summary:

Romeo Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Dunnellon, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 707. The school is part of the Marion School District, which is ranked 61 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Romeo Elementary School faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 37.6% to 51.8% in recent years, which are notably higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores in English Language Arts and Math are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels, with the 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate at 38% compared to 43% for the Marion district and 55% for the state. Additionally, Romeo Elementary School has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 72.56% to 75.67% in recent years, indicating a higher concentration of economically disadvantaged students.

While Romeo Elementary School has a diverse student population, with a roughly even split between White (48.51%) and Hispanic (42.29%) students, its performance has been stagnant or declining over the past several years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 1363 out of 2247 Florida elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 1865 out of 2256 in 2023-2024. When compared to nearby schools, such as Hammett Bowen Junior Elementary School and Saddlewood Elementary School, Romeo Elementary School consistently underperforms in terms of test scores, chronic absenteeism, and overall school ranking.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

19550 SW 36th St
Dunnellon, FL 34431

(352) 465-6700

District: Marion

SchoolDigger Rank:
1865^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,245

Students who attend Romeo Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Dunnellon Middle School
High:	Dunnellon High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.5

Number of students: 737

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.5%

Hispanic:

44.0%

African American:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73%

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Compare Romeo Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Romeo Elementary School ranks worse than 82.7% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 24^th among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Marion School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.53. (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 (46.5%), Hispanic (44%), African American (4.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Romeo Elementary School is 17.5. 21 elementary schools in the Marion School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Romeo Elementary School employs 42 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Romeo Elementary School is $10,245. 26 elementary schools in the Marion School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Romeo Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Marion:

SchoolDigger ranks Marion 61^st of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Romeo Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	58.87	707^th	1688	58.1%
2007	60.33	736^th	1786	58.8%
2008	50.29	934^th	1789	47.8%
2009	56.11	849^th	1847	54.0%
2010	58.44	852^nd	1919	55.6%
2011	54.34	957^th	1985	51.8%
2012	46.90	1063^rd	1984	46.4%
2013	38.35	1269^th	2029	37.5%
2014	36.87	1338^th	2064	35.2%
2016	30.57	1493^rd	2087	28.5%
2017	32.75	1428^th	2112	32.4%
2018	30.47	1507^th	2118	28.8%
2019	35.23	1449^th	2182	33.6%
2021	37.95	1363^rd	2247	39.3%
2022	30.63	1560^th	2219	29.7%
2023	26.91	1683^rd	2240	24.9%
2024	21.53	1865^th	2256	17.3%

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 Romeo Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1993	491	40	3	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	564
1994	550	47	2	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	625
1995	610	44	1	54	3	n/a	n/a	0	712
1996	610	44	1	54	3	n/a	n/a	0	712
1997	594	44	2	61	1	n/a	n/a	0	702
1998	585	34	3	73	2	n/a	n/a	0	697
1999	581	46	3	90	0	n/a	n/a	0	720
2000	577	35	2	112	1	n/a	n/a	0	727
2001	566	31	4	117	0	n/a	n/a	0	718
2002	565	31	0	157	3	n/a	n/a	0	756
2003	565	31	0	157	3	n/a	n/a	0	756
2004	608	26	0	167	2	n/a	n/a	0	803
2005	594	23	1	195	4	n/a	n/a	0	817
2006	613	27	0	180	5	n/a	n/a	0	825
2007	546	25	0	188	4	n/a	n/a	44	807
2008	501	25	1	206	4	n/a	n/a	47	784
2009	484	34	2	190	4	n/a	n/a	41	755
2010	507	41	3	162	4	n/a	n/a	38	755
2011	460	23	2	241	8	0	31	0	765
2012	454	27	1	248	7	1	34	0	772
2013	410	31	2	250	5	0	39	0	737
2014	409	40	2	265	3	3	27	0	749
2015	364	36	2	289	4	3	27	0	725
2016	346	31	3	284	1	2	27	0	694
2017	339	30	2	307	1	2	29	0	710
2018	376	26	1	308	0	2	40	0	753
2019	370	33	0	299	2	1	47	0	752
2020	336	36	0	295	0	0	48	0	715
2021	303	35	1	263	0	0	43	0	645
2022	334	32	1	300	2	0	39	0	708
2023	343	29	1	299	1	1	33	0	707
2024	343	33	3	324	1	1	32	0	737

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 Romeo Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	564	28.0	20.1	56.6
1994	625	33.0	18.9	51.7
1995	712	36.0	19.8	52.7
1996	712	36.0	19.8	52.7
1997	702	39.0	18.0	56.3
1998	697	36.0	19.4	50.6
1999	720	39.0	18.5	71.4
2000	727	38.0	19.1	68.8
2001	718	39.0	18.4	74.2
2002	756	42.0	18.0	72
2003	756	42.0	18.0	72
2004	803	42.0	19.1	72.4
2005	817	47.0	17.4	67.2
2006	825	47.0	17.6	62.9
2007	807	48.0	16.8	67.5
2008	784	53.0	14.8	70.8
2009	755	55.4	15.1	70.2
2010	755	50.0	15.1	82.8
2011	765	52.0	14.7	75.8
2012	772	48.0	16.0	79.8
2013	737	46.0	16.0	80.9
2014	749	38.0	19.7	52.7
2015	725	42.0	17.2	74.2
2016	694	45.0	15.4	75.6
2017	710	44.0	16.1	72.7
2018	753	46.0	16.3	75.7
2019	752	46.0	16.3	71.1
2020	715	43.0	16.6	70.9
2021	645	40.0	16.1	72.6
2022	708	39.0	18.1	74.6
2023	707	41.0	17.2	75.7
2024	737	42.0	17.5	73

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 Romeo Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	564	28.0	20.1	56.6
1994	625	33.0	18.9	51.7
1995	712	36.0	19.8	52.7
1996	712	36.0	19.8	52.7
1997	702	39.0	18.0	56.3
1998	697	36.0	19.4	50.6
1999	720	39.0	18.5	71.4
2000	727	38.0	19.1	68.8
2001	718	39.0	18.4	74.2
2002	756	42.0	18.0	72
2003	756	42.0	18.0	72
2004	803	42.0	19.1	72.4
2005	817	47.0	17.4	67.2
2006	825	47.0	17.6	62.9
2007	807	48.0	16.8	67.5
2008	784	53.0	14.8	70.8
2009	755	55.4	15.1	70.2
2010	755	50.0	15.1	82.8
2011	765	52.0	14.7	75.8
2012	772	48.0	16.0	79.8
2013	737	46.0	16.0	80.9
2014	749	38.0	19.7	52.7
2015	725	42.0	17.2	74.2
2016	694	45.0	15.4	75.6
2017	710	44.0	16.1	72.7
2018	753	46.0	16.3	75.7
2019	752	46.0	16.3	71.1
2020	715	43.0	16.6	70.9
2021	645	40.0	16.1	72.6
2022	708	39.0	18.1	74.6
2023	707	41.0	17.2	75.7
2024	737	42.0	17.5	73

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 Romeo Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$876 (10.9%)	$7,135 (89.1%)	$8,011
2019	$652 (8.0%)	$7,494 (92.0%)	$8,147
2020	$726 (8.5%)	$7,862 (91.5%)	$8,588
2021	$985 (10.5%)	$8,361 (89.5%)	$9,346
2022	$1,683 (17.5%)	$7,911 (82.5%)	$9,594
2023	$1,884 (18.4%)	$8,360 (81.6%)	$10,245

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Romeo Elementary School

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 1449^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1683^rd of 2240 Elementary schools	8.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Romeo Elementary School)	43	27	16%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	44	42	2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Romeo Elementary School)	50	43	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Marion)	49	49
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Romeo Elementary School)	52	48	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	49	50	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Romeo Elementary School)	65	69	4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Marion)	54	58	4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Romeo Elementary School)	50	36	14%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	45	43	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Romeo Elementary School)	44	45	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Marion)	45	46	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Romeo Elementary School)	46	36	10%
5th Grade Science (Marion)	44	43	1%
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	752	707	6%
African American	33	29	12.1%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	299	299
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	370	343	7.3%
Two or More Races	47	33	29.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	71.1%	75.7%	4.5%

Schools Near Romeo Elementary School

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)	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 (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 English Language Arts 7th 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	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Romeo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	19550 SW 36th St	Dunnellon	34431	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 465-6700	737	42	17.5	73.0%	343 (46.5%)	33 (4.5%)	324 (44.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	32 (4.3%)	21.5	1865^th of 2256 public elementary schools	17.3%		26.9	1683^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	24.9%	182	38.0	36.0	38.0			55.0	37.0	32.0				35.0		$10,245	$1,884	$8,360
Dunnellon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10235 SW 180th Avenue Rd	Dunnellon	34432	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 465-6710	640	37	17.2	58.9%	361 (56.4%)	44 (6.9%)	198 (30.9%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.5%)	30.6	1605^th of 2256 public elementary schools	28.9%		35.4	1459^th of 2240 public elementary schools	34.9%	146	36.0	38.0	52.0			38.0	38.0	60.0				48.0		$10,910	$1,936	$8,973
Citrus Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3570 W Century Blvd	Citrus Springs	34433	Citrus County	Citrus	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 344-4079	856	46	18.7	67.2%	600 (70.1%)	52 (6.1%)	129 (15.1%)	6 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	65 (7.6%)	39.4	1359^th of 2256 public elementary schools	39.8%		42.1	1281^st of 2240 public elementary schools	42.8%	78	51.0	47.0	50.0			59.0	43.0	46.0				44.0		$9,667	$1,988	$7,680
Central Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	185 W Citrus Springs Blvd	Citrus Springs	34434	Citrus County	Citrus	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 344-3833	764	42	18.1	59.3%	552 (72.3%)	47 (6.2%)	99 (13.0%)	10 (1.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (6.9%)	39.1	1365^th of 2256 public elementary schools	39.5%		51.7	1056^th of 2240 public elementary schools	52.9%	309	48.0	49.0	56.0			56.0	39.0	48.0				43.0		$10,224	$2,045	$8,179
Ina A.Colen Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	5080 SW 66th Ct. Rd.	Ocala	34474	Marion County	Marion	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(352) 304-6787	435	26	16.7	15.4%	222 (51.0%)	20 (4.6%)	143 (32.9%)	18 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.4%)	78.6	444^th of 2256 public elementary schools	80.3%					(n/a)	77.0	57.0	67.0	69.0	65.0	89.0	82.0	65.0	80.0	78.0	100.0	51.0	76.0	$22,539	$80	$22,459
Saddlewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 SW 43rd Ct	Ocala	34474	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 291-4075	1,000	53	18.8	56.1%	306 (30.6%)	242 (24.2%)	317 (31.7%)	61 (6.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	70 (7.0%)	51.3	1067^th of 2256 public elementary schools	52.7%		51.4	1068^th of 2240 public elementary schools	52.3%	1	56.0	49.0	58.0			62.0	53.0	60.0				43.0		$10,365	$1,882	$8,484
Williston Elementary School	Public	3-5	801 S Main St	Williston	32696	Levy County	Levy	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 528-6030	510	24	21.2	72.5%	257 (50.4%)	85 (16.7%)	127 (24.9%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.7%)	32.5	1548^th of 2256 public elementary schools	31.4%		43.9	1231^st of 2240 public elementary schools	45.0%	317	52.0	36.0	46.0			54.0	38.0	43.0				48.0		$9,471	$1,555	$7,917
Hammett Bowen Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4397 SW 95th St	Ocala	34476	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 291-7900	970	55	17.6	53.3%	350 (36.1%)	134 (13.8%)	390 (40.2%)	36 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	56 (5.8%)	55.8	950^th of 2256 public elementary schools	57.9%		54.4	985^th of 2240 public elementary schools	56.0%	35	59.0	55.0	52.0			55.0	71.0	54.0				52.0		$10,551	$1,861	$8,691
Joyce M. Bullock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	130 SW 3rd St	Williston	32696	Levy County	Levy	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 528-3341	650	35	18.4	72.0%	305 (46.9%)	131 (20.2%)	155 (23.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (8.6%)								(n/a)														$9,798	$1,695	$8,104
College Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1330 SW 33rd Ave	Ocala	34474	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 291-4040	824	45	18.3	72.8%	149 (18.1%)	202 (24.5%)	429 (52.1%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	37 (4.5%)	22.1	1844^th of 2256 public elementary schools	18.3%		31.5	1566^th of 2240 public elementary schools	30.1%	278	28.0	33.0	35.0			45.0	42.0	49.0				41.0		$10,244	$1,835	$8,409

Frequently Asked Questions about Romeo Elementary School

Is Romeo Elementary School a good school?

Romeo Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.3% of Florida elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Romeo Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Romeo Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dunnellon Middle School
High : Dunnellon High School

What district is Romeo Elementary School in?

Marion

How many students attend Romeo Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 737 students attended Romeo Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Romeo Elementary School?

Students at Romeo Elementary School are 47% White, 44% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% Two or more races.

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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.