PONCE DE LEON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL vs KINGS HIGHWAY ELEMENTARY MAGNET SCHOOL

Kings Highway Elementary Magnet School holds a meaningful edge in overall rating, scoring 9.2 out of 10 against Ponce de Leon Elementary School's 8.8 — a 0.4-point gap that widens considerably when viewed through the state lens. Kings Highway ranks #53 of 3,777 Florida elementary schools, placing it in the top 2% statewide, while Ponce de Leon ranks #163 of 3,777 — still a strong top-5% finish, but a substantive distance behind its Clearwater neighbor just 3.4 miles away.

The academic score delta drives most of that gap. Kings Highway Elementary Magnet School scores 7.8 out of 10 on academics versus Ponce de Leon Elementary School's 6.9 — a 0.9-point difference that reflects higher tested proficiency levels at the magnet campus. Growth tells a nearly identical story at both schools: Ponce de Leon earns a 9.8 out of 10 and Kings Highway a 9.9 out of 10, meaning students at both campuses are advancing at exceptional rates relative to peers statewide. Parents can be confident that whichever school they choose, their child will be in an environment where year-over-year academic progress is a demonstrated strength.

On the demographic and classroom environment side, both schools serve identical free and reduced-price lunch populations at 80%, indicating comparable socioeconomic contexts. The enrollment picture differs substantially: Ponce de Leon Elementary School enrolls 546 students while Kings Highway Elementary Magnet School serves just 277, roughly half the size. That smaller footprint is reflected in the student-teacher ratio — Kings Highway comes in at 10.7 students per teacher versus Ponce de Leon's 12.7, a two-student-per-teacher advantage that can translate to more individualized attention in the classroom.

Both schools serve grades PK through 5, so families with children across early elementary ages will find the same grade span at either campus. The key structural distinction is Kings Highway's magnet designation, which typically involves a specialized program focus, an application or enrollment process, and intentional school composition — factors that set it apart from Ponce de Leon's traditional neighborhood elementary model.