The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in Math. The lowest is 68% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Citrus Grove Elementary
Citrus Grove Elementary sits on SW Citrus Blvd in Palm City, an unincorporated residential community in northeastern Martin County set along the St. Lucie River. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public elementary within the Martin County School District, and its enrollment puts it in a mid-range size for a school covering those grade bands.
The academic picture is genuinely strong, particularly in math. Third graders post math proficiency at a level that would stand out in most Florida elementary comparisons, and fourth and fifth graders follow closely behind. ELA results are solid in third grade as well, though they dip a bit in fourth grade before recovering somewhat in fifth. Fifth grade science proficiency is above the majority mark but lower than the math results, which is a pattern worth noting. A parent who wants more detail on how those numbers break down by classroom or subgroup would want to ask the school directly, as data by student group was not available in this profile. Multi-year trend data was also not reported, so it is not possible to say from this profile whether scores are improving, holding steady, or shifting.
The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up a meaningful share and smaller numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Fewer than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing Citrus Grove among the lower-poverty elementary schools in what is already a relatively affluent county. IEP and English learner enrollment counts were not reported in the data.
Palm City itself leans heavily residential and owner-occupied, with a notable retiree presence. The community grew from early citrus and pineapple farming roots into a spread-out suburban enclave characterized by golf courses, gated subdivisions, and waterfront access. Day-to-day errands concentrate along Martin Downs Boulevard, and the Old Palm City corridor around Mapp Road has been adding small businesses and street-level walkability features through a county redevelopment effort. Residents describe the overall feel as relaxed and spread out, with a quick drive across the Palm City Bridge connecting to the more active riverfront of downtown Stuart. The housing market here sits well above both the state and national medians, and rents in the zip code have moved upward year over year. Buying into the school's attendance area is a meaningful financial commitment by most measures.
Palm City is in the early stages of a large growth wave. A master-planned community called Newfield, under development by Mattamy Homes on a substantial parcel between I-95 and Florida's Turnpike, is expected to bring thousands of homes over the coming decades alongside a planned walkable town center. Ground broke on the first neighborhood in 2024. This kind of growth, playing out over years, typically increases enrollment demand and can affect school boundaries and resource allocation, so families settling in Palm City now are buying into a community that will look somewhat different within a decade.
At the district level, Martin County Schools publicly reported earning a top state accountability grade for the 2024-2025 school year, the district's first such rating in several years, with all district schools earning at least a mid-range grade. A voter-approved supplemental property tax, reauthorized by Martin County voters in 2022 and again put before voters in 2024 for a subsequent renewal, funds teacher pay and retention, school safety, mental health support, guidance counselors, and academic programs. A separate voter-approved capital sales tax funded renovations and school replacements across the district, though that tax was set to expire in 2025. These funding decisions sit in the background of what a school like Citrus Grove can offer its students in terms of staff stability and services.
No information on program offerings, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, or discipline data was available for Citrus Grove specifically. A parent interested in enrichment, special education depth, or school culture details would want to visit and ask those questions in person.
See more original research from School Decision →