SOUTHERN OAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL vs WALSINGHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Walsingham Elementary School and Southern Oak Elementary School are separated by just 0.1 miles in Largo, Florida, yet both rank among the very best public elementary schools in the state. Walsingham sits at #29 of 3,777 Florida schools with an overall rating of 9.2/10, while Southern Oak earns a 9.1/10 and ranks #47 of 3,777 — a difference of 18 positions and 0.1 rating points. Parents choosing between these two schools are, by any objective measure, choosing between two exceptional options.

Academically, the gap is narrow but real. Walsingham Elementary scores 8.3/10 in academics versus Southern Oak's 8.2/10 — a 0.1-point edge. Growth scores tell a nearly identical story: Walsingham posts a 9.8/10 compared to Southern Oak's 9.7/10. Both figures reflect strong instructional momentum, meaning students at either school are making above-average gains regardless of where they start. The consistency between academic and growth scores at both schools suggests sustained performance rather than one outlier year.

On demographics and equity, the two schools are closely matched. Walsingham enrolls 380 students against Southern Oak's 495, a difference of 115 students that makes Walsingham the smaller campus. Both schools share an identical student-teacher ratio of 14.1:1, so the size difference does not translate into more individual attention at either school. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility is nearly identical — 64% at Walsingham versus 63% at Southern Oak — indicating comparable socioeconomic profiles and similar resource contexts for both communities.

Both Walsingham Elementary and Southern Oak Elementary serve grades PK through 5, making them direct grade-for-grade alternatives for families with children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Given how closely matched these schools are across every measured dimension — rating, academic score, growth score, student-teacher ratio, and FRL rate — the practical distinction comes down to campus size and marginal state rank rather than any meaningful performance gap.