Isabella Scott Realtor® - South Florida Education Information

South Florida Education Information

Academic excellence is extremely important in today's society. It is the most important tool we can give our children to help them set a foundation for future success, in business and in life. There is so much truth to the saying that, "A mind once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimension." Those who have received a solid foundation in education, understand that growth and learning never stops, and continue throughout life with constant personal and professional development.

The Boca Raton area offers a wide range of public and private institutions ranging from pre-school to doctoral programs at two first class universities. Boca Raton provides students with the highest per-student expenditure in the state, nationally recruited teachers, a wide range of intramural and varsity athletic opportunities and dual high school/college enrollment. Students rank well above the national average in standardized tests. Seventy-five percent go on to college, 25 percent attend college on scholarship.

The Chamber of Commerce is very active in assisting local schools and education as a whole. Seven years ago, the Chamber established the "Golden Bell" Education Foundation, an organization developed to provide funding to implement and enhance new and existing school programs. Individual and corporate contributions help fund the foundation, as do fund raisers such as Meet Me Downtown, Boca Raton's premier community event. Boca Raton business and education meet in the Students At Work (SAW) program, a pilot mentoring program at Olympic Heights High School sponsored by the Chamber.

Boca Raton schools enjoy tremendous corporate support, particularly through 400 business / education partnerships currently at work throughout Palm Beach County. Students benefit from college scholarships, loaned-executive programs, employee release time to volunteer in classrooms, and corporate sponsorships of numerous special education projects.

Additional information on the Chamber's programs can be obtained from the Chamber of Commerce at (561) 395-4433.

Important Phone Numbers

For further information on public and private schools, please call the following numbers:

Palm Beach County Public School District: Main #: (561) 434-8000

Florida Dept. of Education - (Tallahassee) (850) 487-8791

Web sites that provide information

Sun-Sentinel Public and Private Schools links on a community web page.

Public School Search
Private School Search

School District of Palm Beach County - provides various information on the school district - listing of schools, schools with web sites, and boundary maps on-line.

Florida Dept of Education links to Research & Statistics ... Student Information ... leads to various statistics

Florida Information Resource Network (FIRN) main website that hosts access to FL Dept of Education, Public School Districts, among others.

Palm Beach County School District Highlights

Palm Beach County Schools - 17 high schools, 23 middle schools, 79 elementary schools, 7 special/alternative schools, 3 vocational/technical schools, and one adult education center.
One of 5 Model Technology Schools in Florida.
Two of the highest International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma-awarding schools in the nation.
The largest Integrated Learning System (ILS) in the United States with 4 computers installed in every elementary and middle school classroom. Over 35,000 computers are currently being used by students on a daily basis.
Four Professional Development Schools created in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University College of Education.
39% of the instructional staff have advanced degrees.
The average experience of teachers is 12 years.
Two environments study centers in the county.
Palm Beach County has a higher percentage of students in the gifted program than the national average, and about 2,000 students participate in advanced-placement classes.
There are 34 magnet or academy programs, open to qualifying students from a broad geographical area. The programs are designed to attract a diverse group of students interested in a particular topic of study, ranging from science and math to arts, language and technology.
Graduating seniors received $14,690,565 in scholarships this year, an increase of $2,771,269 over the amount awarded in 1996. The total value of all scholarships awarded to 1,971 graduating seniors is $37.9 for 1997, an increase of $5.2 over the amount awarded in 1996.
More students are considering further education. A survey of 1997 graduating seniors showed that 46.8% are opting for in state full-time post-secondary education and 14.8% plan to attend an out-of-state four year college.
Palm Beach County Schools enjoy tremendous corporate support through

	Mean SAT Verbal	Mean SAT Math	Mean ACT Comp
PBC District	498	502	20.5
State	499	499	20.7
Nation	505	511	21.0