Panther Run Elementary School, Lake Worth FL

Original Research by School Decision on Panther Run Elementary School

Panther Run Elementary sits on Lake Worth Road in the western reaches of Palm Beach County, a public prekindergarten through fifth grade school in the Palm Beach district. Its address places it well inland from the historic, artsy Lake Worth Beach downtown, in a newer suburban corridor rather than the walkable, cottage-lined neighborhoods closer to the lagoon. For a family weighing where to live, that geographic distinction matters: the school's immediate surroundings are more suburban subdivision than the bohemian, small-business character of old Lake Worth Beach.

The academic picture here is genuinely strong. Florida's FAST assessments, reported for the most recent school year, show math proficiency running from solidly high in third grade to very high in fourth and fifth, and the small number of sixth graders tested showed every student reaching proficiency. ELA results in third and fourth grade are also well above what you'd typically see statewide, with fifth grade somewhat lower but still respectable. Fifth grade science proficiency, measured by Florida's statewide science assessment, comes in at a similar level to fifth grade ELA. Taken together, across all tested subjects and grades, Panther Run's overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint relative to other districts in Palm Beach County, based on the county comparison set. That is a meaningful position for an elementary school to hold.

The school population is mid-sized for this grade band. White students make up a majority, with Hispanic students the next largest group, followed by Black students and a smaller but present Asian population. The school is genuinely multiracial rather than homogeneous. A relatively modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is notably lower than many schools in the Palm Beach district and suggests a more economically comfortable catchment area. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs was not reported, so a parent looking to understand special education or language services should ask the school directly.

Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to characterize whether performance has been rising, falling, or holding steady. No chronic absenteeism data was included.

On programs: the data provided does not include specific extracurricular, enrichment, or academic program offerings beyond what the grade band implies. A parent interested in arts, STEM focus, gifted services, or similar programs would want to look into that further with the school or the Palm Beach district directly. No magnet designation is attached to the school, and it is not a charter.

The housing market in this zip code sits well above the state and national median home values. The local area has seen a modest price decline year over year, but costs remain high in absolute terms, and estimated monthly carrying costs for a typical home here would consume a very substantial share of the national median household income. Renting is similarly strained: the rent-to-income ratio in this area, measured against national income benchmarks, runs well above what is traditionally considered affordable. Families relocating to this zone should budget with those realities in mind.

The broader Lake Worth Beach area is publicly reported as undergoing active redevelopment, with the city's Community Redevelopment Agency pushing attainable housing projects and larger mixed-use developments along the downtown corridor, some of which have drawn local controversy. The Palm Beach district brief did not surface any confirmed recent parent-relevant policy or program changes in the research available, so that context was left out rather than filled with speculation.

What Panther Run offers, in plain terms, is strong measured academic outcomes in an economically stable catchment area, in a district that serves a wide range of communities across the county. The school's relatively affluent student mix and high proficiency rates make it a natural fit for families prioritizing academic outcomes at the elementary level, provided the housing costs in this part of Palm Beach County work for them.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 394%

School 94% · District 64% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 479%

School 79% · District 55% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 584%

School 84% · District 59% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 6100%

School 100% · District 65% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 383%

School 83% · District 57% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 482%

School 82% · District 56% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 577%

School 77% · District 56% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 577%

School 77% · District 54% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

This schoolPALM BEACH, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income77%Higher-income85%8 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income59%Higher-income87%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income82%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income91%Higher-income95%4 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income67%Higher-income82%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income70%Higher-income87%17 pp gap