CURTIS FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTARY vs SAN JOSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

San Jose Elementary School ranks #11 of 3,777 Florida schools, placing it among the top 0.3% statewide. Curtis Fundamental Elementary sits at #86 — still an elite result in the top 2.3% — but the 75-position gap translates to a meaningful difference in overall rating: San Jose scores 9.4/10 against Curtis Fundamental's 8.9/10. For parents calibrating against the full Florida elementary landscape, both schools clear the bar comfortably, but San Jose's state rank signals a distinction that goes beyond rounding.

The two schools trade the lead depending on which academic dimension matters most. Curtis Fundamental Elementary scores 9.8/10 on academics — 1.3 points above San Jose Elementary School's 8.5/10 — indicating stronger absolute test proficiency. San Jose flips that advantage on growth, scoring 9.8/10 versus Curtis Fundamental's 8.8/10. That 1.0-point growth edge means San Jose is consistently accelerating students beyond their predicted trajectories, a metric that often matters more for children entering with mixed preparation.

The demographic and structural differences between the two schools are substantial. Curtis Fundamental Elementary enrolls 536 students at a 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio, while San Jose Elementary School serves 335 students at 11.2:1 — a 4.6-student-per-teacher gap that translates to meaningfully more individual attention at San Jose. The free and reduced lunch rates diverge sharply as well: 23% at Curtis Fundamental versus 52% at San Jose. San Jose's stronger growth score alongside higher economic diversity suggests the school is particularly effective at advancing students across a wide range of starting points.

Grade access also differs. Curtis Fundamental Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade, while San Jose Elementary School adds a pre-K program, giving families the option to start as early as age four and maintain continuity through elementary in a single building. Curtis Fundamental's "Fundamental" designation reflects a structured, back-to-basics curriculum model that is a deliberate programmatic choice, not simply a school name — an important distinction for families weighing instructional philosophy.