The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 40% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Apalachee Elementary School
Apalachee Elementary sits on the southeast side of Tallahassee, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a regular public school in the Leon County district, and its profile reflects both the broader character of the neighborhood it serves and the real academic gaps that parents should weigh carefully.
The school serves a sizeable student body for an elementary of its grade band. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making Apalachee one of the more economically concentrated schools in Leon County. The student population is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic, multiracial, white, and Asian students. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided.
On state assessments, the picture is mixed and deserves an honest read. Florida reports FAST Math and ELA results by grade, and Apalachee's scores across grades three through five are generally below where many parents would hope. Math proficiency in the third and fourth grades falls in the mid-range, while fifth-grade math proficiency drops notably lower. ELA proficiency in the tested grades runs in the upper thirties to mid-forties, a range that is below the state midpoint. Science proficiency for fifth graders, measured by the statewide assessment, is in the low forties. When the school's overall proficiency index is placed alongside the other districts in Leon County, Apalachee comes in below the midpoint of that comparison set. These are facts parents should take seriously and, if possible, ask school staff to explain in terms of specific grade-level supports, intervention programs, and how the school is tracking individual student progress. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say from this data whether results are improving, holding steady, or declining.
No graduation rate applies here, as Apalachee serves only elementary grades.
The housing market around the school reflects Tallahassee's broader dynamics. Home values in the school's zip code are modestly below both the Florida and national medians and have risen only slightly over the past year. Rents, on the other hand, have climbed at a faster pace than home values, making the area somewhat more accessible to buyers than renters. Monthly mortgage costs relative to estimated income suggest the zip is more affordable than much of the state. For families considering a purchase in this area, the price point is one of the more accessible entry points in the Tallahassee market.
Tallahassee itself is shaped by state government, Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and a growing healthcare sector. The city is largely car-dependent, though the southeast side where Apalachee is located is more residential and suburban in character. The city bus system, StarMetro, provides routes including service oriented toward university and K-12 riders. A new Southside Transit Center broke ground in 2024, a development that could over time improve access on this side of the city. The county has been growing modestly, and planners are actively working to add housing density to accommodate continued demand.
Regarding recent district-level policy or programmatic changes from Leon County Schools, the search for parent-relevant updates turned up nothing that could be confirmed from reliable sources, so that ground is left out rather than guessed at. Parents with specific questions about curriculum direction, school resources, or staffing at Apalachee would do well to contact the school or attend a school advisory council meeting directly.
Apalachee Elementary is a neighborhood school serving a predominantly lower-income, predominantly Black community on Tallahassee's east side. Its academic proficiency rates are below the midpoint of the county comparison set, and parents with children entering the tested grades may want to ask the school directly about reading and math intervention and what support looks like for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
See more original research from School Decision →