The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in Science. The lowest is 64% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on St. Cloud Elementary School
St. Cloud Elementary sits on Budinger Avenue in St. Cloud, a city on the southern shore of East Lake Tohopekaliga that is, publicly reported, the fastest-growing incorporated city in Osceola County. That growth context matters for a family evaluating this school: the surrounding community is adding new housing at a rapid pace, population has more than doubled since the early 2000s, and the city is actively planning for tens of thousands of additional residents in coming decades. A school in this corridor is not a static place.
The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report and no high school program context here. What the data does offer is Florida FAST and statewide science results from the most recent school year.
The picture is mixed, and the pattern is worth examining closely. Third-grade math proficiency is genuinely strong, well above what most elementary schools produce, and it suggests something is working in the early grades for number sense and computation. Third-grade ELA sits at a solid level as well. The science result for fifth grade is also reasonably healthy. The softer spot is in the upper elementary grades, particularly fourth and fifth grade math, where proficiency drops meaningfully compared to third grade. Fifth-grade math falls to roughly half of students meeting proficiency. ELA in fourth and fifth grade settles into a range that is adequate but not especially strong. The gap between how third graders perform and how fifth graders perform is a pattern a parent may want to ask the school about directly. It could reflect curriculum transitions, student mobility in a fast-growing area, or something else the school can speak to specifically.
A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which tells you this is a school serving a broad economic cross-section of the St. Cloud community. The student population is Hispanic and white in roughly similar proportions, with smaller shares of Black students, multiracial students, and Asian students. Data on English learner enrollment and students with individualized education programs was not available in what we reviewed, so families with children in either of those categories should ask the district directly.
On programs, no specific curriculum or enrichment offerings were listed in the data we received, so we left that out rather than guess. The parent district is Osceola County Schools; we looked for district-level strategic priorities or recent changes but the research did not surface lasting changes we could confirm, so that piece is absent here.
The housing market around the school reflects St. Cloud's growth trajectory. Home values in the immediate zip code sit somewhat below the Florida statewide benchmark, and recent trends show a modest year-over-year decline in home values while rents have edged slightly upward. Renting here consumes a meaningful portion of a typical household's income at current market rates. For a family weighing whether to buy, the monthly carrying cost of a home at current prices and mortgage rates runs noticeably above the local rent level, a gap worth factoring into a relocation decision.
St. Cloud itself has a distinct character worth naming. Its historic downtown, founded as a retirement community for Union Army veterans, retains old buildings, walkable streets, locally owned restaurants and shops, and a farmers market. Lakefront Park on East Lake Tohopekaliga offers a beach, marina, fishing pier, and a lighted path along the water. Healthcare, retail, and municipal employment anchor the local job market, with a publicized tech-sector investment in the NeoCity South area expected to add higher-wage jobs over time. The main commercial corridor outside downtown runs along U.S. 192 and is auto-oriented. LYNX bus service connects St. Cloud to Kissimmee.
The school fits a family looking for a public elementary in a growing, diverse community with genuinely strong early-grade math results. The upper-grade trajectory, particularly in math, is worth a direct conversation with the school before committing.
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