Is Dayspring Academy a good school?

Dayspring Academy ranks 413 th of 2256 Florida alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Dayspring Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 943 students attended Dayspring Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Dayspring Academy?

Students at Dayspring Academy are 66% White, 22% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

Dayspring Academy

Summary:

Dayspring Academy is a public charter school located in Port Richey, Florida, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 872 students. The school is part of the Pasco school district, which is ranked 42 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dayspring Academy consistently outperforms the Pasco district and the state of Florida in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels, with significantly higher proficiency rates in subjects like Algebra 1, Geometry, and Civics. The school's four-year graduation rate has been 100% for the past five years, which is substantially higher than the district and state averages. Dayspring Academy has a diverse student population, with a significant percentage of students from low-income families, and a relatively low student-to-teacher ratio of 15:1, with higher-than-average spending per student.

When compared to nearby schools, Dayspring Academy stands out as an exceptional public charter school. It outperforms Classical Preparatory School, another public charter school in the Pasco district, in academic metrics such as proficiency rates and graduation rates. Dayspring Academy also significantly outperforms the Pasco Virtual Instruction Program and the Pepin Academies of Pasco County in various subjects and grade levels, making it a model of educational excellence in the region.

Detail:

Public, Charter, Alternative K-12

9732 Little Rd
New Port Richey, FL 34654

(727) 862-8600

District: Pasco

SchoolDigger Rank:
413^th of 2,256 Florida Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,223

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 943

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.5%

Hispanic:

22.3%

Two or more races:

4.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Dayspring Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dayspring Academy ranks better than 81.7% of elementary schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.67. (See more...)

Compare Details Dayspring Academy ranks better than 88.7% of middle schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.07. (See more...)

Compare Details Dayspring Academy ranks better than 93.6% of high schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.7. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Dayspring Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 (65.5%), Hispanic (22.3%), two or more races (4.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dayspring Academy is 15.7. 3 alternative schools in the Pasco School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Dayspring Academy employs 60 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dayspring Academy is $9,223. 2 alternative schools in the Pasco School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Dayspring Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Dayspring Academy 135^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Dayspring Academy in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Dayspring Academy 52^nd of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Dayspring Academy in the ranking list.)

Pasco:

SchoolDigger ranks Pasco 42^nd of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Dayspring Academy.

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Rank History for Dayspring Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	67.14	99^th	199	50.3%
2005	66.94	96^th	202	52.5%
2006	69.79	518^th	1688	69.3%
2007	73.18	458^th	1786	74.4%
2008	81.64	283^rd	1789	84.2%
2009	72.31	476^th	1847	74.2%
2010	89.40	115^th	1919	94.0%
2011	88.64	136^th	1985	93.1%
2012	84.96	240^th	1984	87.9%
2013	83.38	278^th	2029	86.3%
2014	85.60	245^th	2064	88.1%
2016	81.81	342^nd	2087	83.6%
2017	74.91	496^th	2112	76.5%
2018	71.97	562^nd	2118	73.5%
2019	80.06	403^rd	2182	81.5%
2021	77.15	487^th	2247	78.3%
2022	75.57	513^th	2219	76.9%
2023	75.06	507^th	2240	77.4%
2024	79.67	413^th	2256	81.7%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Dayspring Academy

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	64.74	208^th	593	64.9%
2005	72.19	150^th	602	75.1%
2006	82.21	100^th	675	85.2%
2007	83.82	94^th	736	87.2%
2008	81.70	113^th	740	84.7%
2009	79.88	134^th	780	82.8%
2010	86.88	76^th	839	90.9%
2011	84.58	105^th	891	88.2%
2012	89.84	64^th	897	92.9%
2013	92.25	38^th	956	96.0%
2014	90.72	60^th	999	94.0%
2016	87.44	101^st	997	89.9%
2017	79.17	201^st	1031	80.5%
2018	85.83	134^th	1035	87.1%
2019	84.77	140^th	1099	87.3%
2021	80.09	192^nd	1136	83.1%
2022	70.12	302^nd	1148	73.7%
2023	85.42	134^th	1177	88.6%
2024	86.07	135^th	1196	88.7%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Dayspring Academy

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2019	77.72	65^th	734	91.1%
2021	82.20	52^nd	746	93.0%
2022	69.21	137^th	774	82.3%
2023	75.19	98^th	792	87.6%
2024	83.70	52^nd	807	93.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

75%

25%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, February 18, 2020

We are so blessed to have this option for our two students. If it was not for Dayspring, I do not know what we would do. The school has amazing character programs, community outreach, and robust arts program. We are so lucky we applied and our lottery number came up. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, February 20, 2016

This charter school has a lot to offer. It has a small environment, very caring teachers, a seriousness about learning and the importance of doing your best is a continuous theme. My son graduated from the middle school and left for public HS (he wanted a larger school environment than Dayspring has to offer) and his workload, which I've heard many parents say is too much at DSA, is not as heavy in the public HS even in all honors classes. The one thing Dayspring will always tell you is that by the time you graduate MS you'll be prepared for HS and it's very true. Dayspring is what you make it. My kids are both hardworkers but not terribly interested in the Arts aspect of the school which worked out fine for them. Uniforms, a longer school day, mandatory volunteer hours (which mean families are involved and care about the school which I didn't see much of at our previous public ES) and the BEST fieldtrips have really made our time at Dayspring a memorable one. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, April 7, 2015

This school is ridiculous!!!! I sent my son here for two months and he was bullied and ad fun of for the way he looked. All the teachers had favorites and they were the art students that were in dance or musical theater or the ones that were at the school for a long time. I was very mad and took my son out the day he told me. I now send him to River Ridge which has no bullying, favorites, or snobby kids. Dayspring thinks they are the best but discriminate and depress students too much for the school to be the best. Never send a child here. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Dayspring Academy

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	122	3	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	131
2002	288	3	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	300
2003	288	3	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	300
2004	324	4	2	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	345
2005	343	2	1	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	360
2006	372	2	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	391
2007	372	3	3	15	1	n/a	n/a	13	407
2008	363	3	3	18	0	n/a	n/a	17	404
2009	356	5	7	25	0	n/a	n/a	24	417
2010	369	7	15	40	1	n/a	n/a	28	460
2011	379	7	18	58	1	0	27	0	490
2012	405	7	23	64	1	0	26	0	526
2013	407	10	26	85	0	0	25	0	553
2014	452	10	24	81	1	0	21	0	589
2015	470	10	23	86	1	0	23	0	613
2016	493	11	20	98	1	0	25	0	648
2017	518	12	31	106	2	0	25	0	694
2018	546	18	36	116	1	0	29	0	746
2019	570	17	40	123	1	0	27	0	778
2020	612	14	38	142	1	0	29	0	836
2021	662	14	43	162	1	0	38	0	920
2022	626	16	41	151	1	0	32	0	867
2023	596	22	41	171	1	1	40	0	872
2024	618	23	41	210	3	2	46	0	943

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 Dayspring Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	131	0.0	0.0	21.4
2002	300	25.0	12.0	25.3
2003	300	25.0	12.0	25.3
2004	345	n/a	n/a	22.3
2005	360	26.0	13.8	11.4
2006	391	28.0	14.0	7.9
2007	407	25.0	16.3	11.2
2008	404	30.0	13.5	11.1
2009	417	35.3	12.8	2.5
2010	460	45.0	10.2	37.3
2011	490	35.9	13.6	1.4
2012	526	37.0	14.2	31
2013	553	38.0	14.5	40
2014	589	70.0	8.4	38.9
2015	613	60.0	10.2	49.1
2016	648	53.0	12.2	47.8
2017	694	53.0	13.0	45.8
2018	746	67.0	11.1	48.9
2019	778	47.5	16.3	46.4
2020	836	50.5	16.5	47.7
2021	920	59.0	15.5	43.2
2022	867	60.0	14.4	46.6
2023	872	58.0	15.0	47.7
2024	943	60.0	15.7	39

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 Dayspring Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	131	0.0	0.0	21.4
2002	300	25.0	12.0	25.3
2003	300	25.0	12.0	25.3
2004	345	n/a	n/a	22.3
2005	360	26.0	13.8	11.4
2006	391	28.0	14.0	7.9
2007	407	25.0	16.3	11.2
2008	404	30.0	13.5	11.1
2009	417	35.3	12.8	2.5
2010	460	45.0	10.2	37.3
2011	490	35.9	13.6	1.4
2012	526	37.0	14.2	31
2013	553	38.0	14.5	40
2014	589	70.0	8.4	38.9
2015	613	60.0	10.2	49.1
2016	648	53.0	12.2	47.8
2017	694	53.0	13.0	45.8
2018	746	67.0	11.1	48.9
2019	778	47.5	16.3	46.4
2020	836	50.5	16.5	47.7
2021	920	59.0	15.5	43.2
2022	867	60.0	14.4	46.6
2023	872	58.0	15.0	47.7
2024	943	60.0	15.7	39

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 Dayspring Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$14 (0.2%)	$6,581 (99.8%)	$6,595
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$6,597 (100.0%)	$6,597
2020	$00 (0.0%)	$6,757 (100.0%)	$6,757
2021	$471 (6.6%)	$6,712 (93.4%)	$7,183
2022	$1,418 (15.3%)	$7,820 (84.7%)	$9,238
2023	$588 (6.4%)	$8,635 (93.6%)	$9,223

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dayspring 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 403^rd of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 507^th of 2240 Elementary schools	4.2%
Ranks 140^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 134^th of 1177 Middle schools	1.4%
Ranks 65^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 98^th of 792 High schools	3.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Dayspring Academy)	76	74	2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pasco)	60	53	7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dayspring Academy)	76	88	12%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pasco)	59	52	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Dayspring Academy)	77	72	5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pasco)	59	57	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Dayspring Academy)	84	68	16%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pasco)	62	56	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Dayspring Academy)	70	69	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pasco)	55	51	4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Dayspring Academy)	74	64	10%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pasco)	57	45	12%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Dayspring Academy)	51	47	4%
5th Grade Science (Pasco)	53	49	4%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Dayspring Academy)	75	54	21%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pasco)	56	51	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Dayspring Academy)	75	76	1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Pasco)	59	48	11%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Dayspring Academy)	78	55	23%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pasco)	51	45	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Dayspring Academy)	81	63	18%
7th Grade Mathematics (Pasco)	42	38	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Dayspring Academy)	79	58	21%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pasco)	58	45	13%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Science (Dayspring Academy)	60	78	18%
8th Grade Science (Pasco)	54	46	8%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Dayspring Academy)	88	67	21%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Pasco)	57	53	4%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Dayspring Academy)	92	73	19%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Pasco)	53	48	5%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Dayspring Academy)	93	86	7%
End of Course Biology 1 (Pasco)	68	65	3%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Dayspring Academy)	92	81	11%
End of Course US History (Pasco)	69	65	4%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Civics (Dayspring Academy)	82	95	13%
End of Course Civics (Pasco)	70	70
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Dayspring Academy)	68	64	4%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Pasco)	60	54	6%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Dayspring Academy)	97	75	22%
End of Course Geometry (Pasco)	63	62	1%
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	778	872	12.1%
African American	17	22	29.4%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	40	41	2.5%
Hispanic	123	171	39%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	570	596	4.6%
Two or More Races	27	40	48.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	46.4%	47.7%	1.3%

Schools Near Dayspring Academy

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
Dayspring Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	9732 Little Rd	New Port Richey	34654	Pasco County	Pasco	Yes	No	No	No	(727) 862-8600	943	60	15.7	39.0%	618 (65.5%)	23 (2.4%)	210 (22.3%)	41 (4.3%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	46 (4.9%)								(n/a)	84.0	68.0	60.0	70.0	74.0	73.0	85.0	70.0	79.0	81.0	62.0	75.0		88.0	64.0	72.0	83.0	84.0	91.0	88.0	94.0	$9,223	$588	$8,635
Baycare Behavioral Health	Public, Alternative	1-12	8132 King Helie Blvd	New Port Richey	34653	Pasco County	Pasco	No	No	No	No	(727) 774-1700	15	1	15.0	93.3%	11 (73.3%)	2 (13.3%)	2 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Pepin Academies Of Pasco County	Public, Charter, Alternative	3-12	7710 Osteen Rd	New Port Richey	34653	Pasco County	Pasco	Yes	No	No	Yes	(727) 264-6497	313	29	10.7	55.6%	210 (67.1%)	14 (4.5%)	71 (22.7%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)								(n/a)	0.0	0.0	0.0	4.0	0.0	11.0	4.0	5.0				4.0	0.0	11.0		19.0	0.0	3.0	16.0	12.0	11.0	$13,666	$1,658	$12,008
Pasco Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	8916 Angeline School Way	Land O Lakes	34638	Pasco County	Pasco	No	No	Yes	No	(813) 346-1900	141	11	12.8	2.1%	85 (60.3%)	7 (5.0%)	33 (23.4%)	6 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	9 (6.4%)								(n/a)	71.0	63.0	47.0						71.0	44.0	29.0				53.0							$9,242	$2,432	$6,809
Classical Preparatory School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	16500 Lyceum Way	Spring Hill	34610	Pasco County	Pasco	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 803-7903	1,124	69	16.4	36.7%	720 (64.1%)	73 (6.5%)	257 (22.9%)	23 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (4.4%)								(n/a)	43.0	47.0	49.0	53.0	62.0	64.0	59.0	65.0	39.0	50.0	54.0	33.0	67.0	60.0	54.0	66.0	75.0	61.0	73.0	80.0	100.0	$6,901	$786	$6,116
Dorothy Thomas Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	3215 Nundy Rd	Tampa	33618	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 975-7355	39	11	3.5	74.4%	12 (30.8%)	14 (35.9%)	10 (25.6%)	2 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)								(n/a)																						$56,895	$8,779	$48,117

Dayspring Academy

Pasco:

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Rank History for Dayspring Academy

Rank History for Dayspring Academy

Rank History for Dayspring Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for Dayspring Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dayspring Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Dayspring Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dayspring Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Dayspring Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Dayspring Academy