The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 38% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gerald Adams Elementary School
Gerald Adams Elementary sits on College Road in Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Key West is a small island city that draws millions of visitors each year, giving the place a distinctive character where a tight-knit residential community coexists with heavy tourist traffic. The school is part of Monroe County's single public school district, which covers the Florida Keys from Key West north to Marathon.
The student body is notably diverse. Black and Hispanic students each make up roughly equal and substantial shares of enrollment, with white students forming a smaller but meaningful third group. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this school among those serving a high-needs population by that measure. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs were not available in what was provided.
On Florida's FAST assessments in the most recent school year, proficiency rates across tested grades tell a mixed and generally modest picture. Third graders showed the strongest results in both math and English language arts, with math running a bit higher than reading at that grade. By fourth and fifth grade, proficiency rates in both subjects dropped considerably, and fifth-grade reading came in at the lower end of the range across all tested grades. Science proficiency for fifth graders was also in a similar range to fifth-grade math. A parent who wants to understand how these results compare to other Florida schools or to national benchmarks should ask the school directly, since trend data and statewide ranking context were not available in what was provided. The comparison set for Monroe County contains only a single district, so no peer-district comparison could be made.
Pre-kindergarten enrolls a large share of the school's students, more than any individual tested grade. That suggests Gerald Adams functions as a meaningful early childhood entry point for the Key West community.
Two district-level developments are worth knowing. In late 2024, Monroe County voters publicly renewed a pair of longstanding school funding referendums, one tied to operations and teacher pay, the other to capital construction and maintenance. Publicly reported accounts indicate district leaders had warned that failure would have meant significant cuts to staff and programs across all schools. Families can take that renewal as a signal of community investment in the schools, with no added tax burden. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, the school board also adopted a property tax rate increase, with the added revenue directed toward construction, safety, ADA compliance, and new buses. Families considering buying a home in the area should factor that into their calculations alongside the already-elevated local housing market.
That housing market is stark. Home values near the school run far above both the Florida state median and the national median, placing Key West real estate among the most expensive in the country. Rents are similarly elevated, and the estimated monthly cost of ownership, even with a standard down payment, is well out of reach for many families at typical income levels. Rents as a share of income run well above what financial planners generally consider sustainable. For families already in Key West, this context is familiar. For those considering a move, the affordability gap is real and should be weighed carefully.
Day-to-day life in Key West is shaped by the island's walkability and a transit network that includes city bus routes, a free Duval Loop, and an on-demand service that began operating in late 2023. The Monroe County library's main branch, one of the oldest in Florida, is a long-established community anchor. These are features of the place itself, not the school, but they define the environment a child grows up in here.
Program-specific offerings at Gerald Adams were not available in the data provided, so a parent interested in enrichment, intervention supports, or extracurriculars would want to contact the school directly.
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