A closer look at O. J. Semmes Elementary School.
O. J. Semmes Elementary's official family information emphasizes its parent-engagement plan and reading support resources. Its website links a parent newsletter, school library search and the current school-supply list.
The 2025–26 Florida DOE report classifies O. J. Semmes Elementary School in the elementary category, as a district public school in Escambia County. Its accountability grade is C; it earned 49% of possible accountability points. The published grade sequence is C in 2023–24, C in 2024–25, and C in 2025–26.
Make the home-reading plan part of a teacher conversation
Our interpretation of published school information, not a campus inspection or an additional official rating.
O. J. Semmes brings several family-learning resources together: a parent newsletter, a family-engagement plan, reading-at-home materials and access to the library catalog. For an elementary family, the value is in connecting those resources to one manageable routine. A useful starting point would be a teacher-recommended reading activity that fits the child's current skills and can be practiced consistently between school days.
Semmes also links progress information through FOCUS and publishes practical guidance for family contacts and pickup. The school's online information gives parents a way to prepare, but it provides less detail about the day-to-day instructional methods within each grade. That makes a focused classroom conversation particularly worthwhile. Ask how the teacher distinguishes a child who can read a passage aloud from one who understands it, and how the home plan changes as the child's needs change.
Why it may fit
Families who want a clear connection between school reading goals, home practice and regular teacher feedback can use Semmes' published resources to begin that discussion.
What to weigh
A general parent newsletter or reading guide cannot select the right activity for an individual child. The key follow-up is who tailors the plan and when progress is reviewed.
Semmes is the East Texar Drive elementary campus. Complete registration and confirm authorized contacts before the first day so the family's learning and pickup information reach the right people.
Ask for one example of home reading practice matched to the child's grade, along with the classroom evidence the teacher would use to decide when to change it.
Based on O. J. Semmes family-engagement and reading resources ↗ · Escambia district enrollment services ↗. Confirm current programs and availability with the school.
What makes this school distinctive.
Family-school planning
Semmes publishes its Parent and Family Engagement Plan and school improvement information, which families can use to frame questions about the year ahead.
School source ↗Reading support at home
The school connects families with library search and the Florida reading-at-home plan, alongside tools for following progress in FOCUS.
School source ↗How the official results compare.
Its 49% overall points result is 9 percentage points below the 58% median among 33 other elementary schools in Escambia County with reported data.
What the results suggest.
A consistent state classification
Three consecutive C grades give you a consistent accountability classification across the published years. That is useful context, but it does not show whether every subject, classroom or student made the same progress.
Where to look closer
The science result is 23%, 39 percentage points below its 62% local peer median. This is a specific area to discuss, rather than a verdict on the whole school. Ask how teachers identify a student who needs help, what support looks like during the week, and how progress is shared with families.
Calculated from the dated state results below. Peer gaps compare each subject with the same subject at other schools, not one subject with another. Measures can cover different student groups. They do not establish why a result occurred or the quality of a particular teacher.
| Measure | This school | Peer median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall accountability points | 49% | 58% (33 schools) | −9 pp |
| English language arts achievement | 39% | 62% (33 schools) | −23 pp |
| Mathematics achievement | 49% | 63% (33 schools) | −14 pp |
| Science achievement | 23% | 62% (33 schools) | −39 pp |
Swipe across the table to compare all columns.
Calculated from the linked Florida DOE release. The peer median is the middle school-level result, excludes this school, uses the same county and DOE school category, and ignores missing values. It is not weighted by enrollment. “pp” means percentage points. Graduation and acceleration measures use the cohorts specified by the state. Different measures describe different groups of students.
Use the results to identify questions, not to predict your child's experience. Programs, support, admissions and a campus visit can change which option fits your priorities. Read the state methodology ↗
Other schools to consider.
These are the nearest other report pages in the same county and Florida DOE school category, using recorded campus locations. Their placement is based on location and school format, not a recommendation or enrollment entitlement.
Cordova Park Elementary School ↗
Directory grades KG–06 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Cordova Park Elementary School reports 74% in science achievement, compared with 23% here. If this is a priority, ask how its instruction and support would serve your child. Relevant for a family interested in how visual arts contribute to an elementary education. A child who enjoys making things may also benefit from learning to explain choices and respond thoughtfully to someone else's work.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.N. B. Cook Elementary School ↗
Directory grades KG–05 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
N. B. Cook Elementary School reports 84% in science achievement, compared with 23% here. If this is a priority, ask how its instruction and support would serve your child. Particularly worth exploring for a child who engages through artistic expression and a family that values regular participation across several art forms.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Brentwood Elementary School ↗
Directory grades PK–05 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Brentwood Elementary School reports 46% in science achievement, compared with 23% here. If this is a priority, ask how its instruction and support would serve your child. Worth examining if you want a visible explanation of academic expectations and a practical way to discuss progress. A rubric can support a productive conversation without reducing learning to a single score.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Campus-to-campus distances are straight-line estimates, not driving routes or distances from your home. Use the address search on the school map for a comparison from your own location. An alternative may be a better fit when its verified program, support or learning format aligns with your child's needs; a higher score in one measure does not settle that decision.
Enrollment and a useful school visit.
Verify the assigned campus and enrollment requirements through the district, then use Semmes' official new-student registration link and confirm first-day arrangements with the office. Enrollment resource ↗
- What classroom priorities does the current family-engagement plan support in our child's grade?
- Which reading-at-home resources will our child's teacher recommend and review with us?
Sources for this guide
School-specific research checked 2026-09-06. Accountability data: 2025–26, retrieved 2026-08-24. Directory information is dated separately above.