The top reported proficiency rate is 10% in Math. The lowest is 5% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Deaf Elementary School (fsdb)
The Deaf Elementary School at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) is a state-operated special education school in St. Augustine serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is not a neighborhood school in the conventional sense. FSDB is a fully state-funded, tuition-free public institution, and publicly reported information describes it as a residential campus where roughly two-thirds of students board during the school week, returning home on weekends, while the remaining third commute daily. Families from anywhere in Florida whose child qualifies may enroll. That residential structure is the defining feature of what this placement means in practice.
The campus sits on San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine, close to the city's walkable historic downtown and near Flagler College. St. Augustine itself is a coastal city with a well-established tourism economy, a compact and pedestrian-friendly historic core, and a surrounding county that is among the fastest-growing in the state. Northrop Grumman, Flagler Health+, and the school itself are among the area's major employers. The housing market near the school carries home values close to the Florida statewide figure and has seen a modest year-over-year softening, while rents have been essentially flat. None of that directly affects families in the boarding program, but day-student families or those considering relocation should know the local market is neither cheap nor dramatically out of reach compared to the state norm.
On academic performance, Florida state assessment results are available for tested grades. Proficiency rates in ELA, math, and science across third through fifth grade are low in absolute terms and fall well below the range of other districts in St. Johns County. A parent reading those numbers should understand the context carefully. This school serves students whose primary language may be American Sign Language, whose access to printed English develops along a different trajectory than that of hearing peers, and whose individual needs vary widely. Comparing these results directly against a general-population elementary school tells you very little about the quality of the instruction or the progress individual students are making. A parent who wants to understand academic progress in ways the state proficiency data does not capture should ask the school directly about growth metrics, literacy approaches, and how student gains are tracked over time.
Demographically, the school enrolls a small group of students spread across eight grade levels including pre-kindergarten. White students make up just over half the enrollment, with Hispanic students the next largest group, followed by smaller shares of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the school drawing from across the state rather than from any single local community. IEP and English learner rates were not available in the data provided.
The school's parent institution has received sustained state capital investment in recent years. The 2025 Florida Legislature passed an unusually large appropriation for FSDB facilities, and previous budget cycles funded specific dormitory and building renovations on the eighty-acre campus, with ongoing preventative maintenance funding continuing into the 2026-27 cycle. For families weighing a residential placement, the state's pattern of investment in the physical campus is a relevant practical consideration.
A graduation rate does not apply here because this school serves only pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Course access, discipline, and chronic absenteeism data were not available in the data provided.
This school's purpose is specific: it exists to serve deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind students in a specialized environment, with instruction from educators trained in that field and a peer community of students who share a communication experience. Families choosing it are not choosing between this and a general elementary school on the basis of test scores. They are weighing whether a residential, specialized setting fits their child's language development, social needs, and disability profile. Parents who want to understand what that looks like day-to-day would benefit from visiting the campus and speaking with current families and staff.
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