THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER

As a cozy elementary school in PALATKA, Florida, THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER educates 275 students from grades K through 6, part of PUTNAM. That puts it 54% smaller than the typical public school in Florida, which averages around 604 students.

PUTNAM comprises 18 schools with combined enrollment of 10,082 students; THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER is among them.

Looking at the student body, THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER reports that the largest single group is White, at 60% of enrollment; the rest is composed of 23% Black, 8% Hispanic, 7% multiracial. By comparison, Putnam County as a whole is about 71% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, An estimated 38% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Putnam County (around 55%), the school's rate is meaningfully below typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER sits in the top 10% of Florida schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 62.2%; actual is 80.6%, +18.4 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the broader community, census data for Putnam County shows median household earnings sit near $47,934, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 17%. In all, Putnam County runs 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 10,082 students), of which THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER is one.

The closest other public school is KELLEY SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, roughly 0.9 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 41.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area. THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER is a charter school, which puts it inside the public-school system but outside the standard district-managed model.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at THE CHILDREN'S READING CENTER has increased 14%, going from 242 students in 2018 to 275 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment expanded from 3% to 8% over that span.

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