- March 4, 2025
A once-failing charter school has turned itself around, an analysis shows.
Palm Harbor Academy, which would have received F grades the last two years had it been subject to state assessments, would this year receive a C grade instead, according to projected test scores for the 2012-2013 school year.
The school does not qualify for state grading because it does not meet certain student enrollment numbers required for such an evaluation. However, the Flagler County School District still evaluates Palm Harbor under those standards to determine what score the school would receive if it were graded, said Shawn Schmidli, coordinator of assessment, accountability and equity for the district.
The Flagler County School Board said had this improvement not come, Palm Harbor might need to be re-evaluated to ensure that its students would not be placed at a disadvantage for attending.
“They’re moving in the right direction,” said School Board member Colleen Conklin during a meeting last week. “I think if we saw the data moving in the opposite direction, that would be cause for great concern and alarm.”
Despite its improvement, the charter school still falls behind other schools in the district. In 2013, 62% of students districtwide were proficient in reading, compared to 46% of Palm Harbor students. Districtwide, 61% of students are proficient in math, compared to 31% at Palm Harbor. In science, the district has a 49% proficiency rate, Palm Harbor 20%.
“It’s concerning — my bottom line is are we doing the best thing for the children by progressing?” said School Board member John Fischer, adding that while he knows the staff at Palm Harbor is working hard to improve performance standards, that may not be enough.
“Where will these children be if they have to go to a traditional schools next year — what grade level?” Fischer said.
The school will enroll about 65 Flagler County students next year.
Despite that concern, the significant turnaround in Palm Harbor’s achievement remained the forefront of the board’s discussion. Palm Harbor’s improvement came during a year when most other schools in the district declined in their letter grades as stricter state standards took effect.
“The school is really moving in the right direction,” said Jacob Oliva, assistant superintendent.
Palm Harbor Academy student achievement
| Year | Reading Proficiency | Math Proficiency | Writing Proficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 48% | 15% | 70% |
| 2012 | 33% | 7% | 88% |
| 2013 (projected numbers) | 46% | 31% | 63% |
