Five public elementary schools in Brevard County received a C in Niche’s 2027 evaluations—the lowest overall grade among the county’s graded entries.
But their individual report cards reveal different stories. Two recently improved from a D to a C under Florida’s separate grading system, while their campuses offer everything from flight simulators to an on-site health clinic.
All five schools share the same overall Niche grade, so there’s no honest way to squeeze this into a bottom-three list. They appear alphabetically below, with current academic results, programs and services adding context to the shared letter.
Dr. W.J. Creel Elementary School, Melbourne — Overall Niche Grade: C
At Dr. W.J. Creel Elementary, reading achievement and reading progress tell different parts of the story.
The school receives a C overall, C for academics and C for teachers on its current Niche profile. Its diversity grade is an A.
The district’s school data profile lists 433 students as of Oct. 20, 2026, and a current grade span of prekindergarten through sixth grade. Its federal staffing record reports approximately 12.8 students per teacher in 2024–25, a staffing ratio rather than an average classroom size.
The academic challenge is clear. In the district’s 2024–25 state accountability data, Creel’s English language arts achievement component stood at 39%, while math achievement was 32%.
However, 59% of students included in the English language arts learning-gains component met Florida’s growth criteria. That is a different measure from reaching the achievement standard: students can make meaningful progress while still having ground to cover.
Creel’s instructional overview describes daily small-group reading lessons and additional reading instruction supported through Title I.
There’s also room in the school day for something other than another worksheet. The school’s program listings include beginning and intermediate strings and Eagle News, a television production club involving students in everything from writing scripts to producing announcements.
Those offerings don’t erase the academic gaps. They do make Creel’s profile more specific: a school with substantial reading and math needs, documented reading support and opportunities for students to make music and take charge behind a camera.
Endeavour Elementary Magnet School, Cocoa — Overall Niche Grade: C
Endeavour’s most distinctive feature may be how much happens on campus beyond classroom instruction.
The Cocoa school is a Community Partnership School with an on-site Brevard Health Alliance office offering medical, dental and vision appointments for students. Its partnerships also support a food pantry, family resources and a grant-funded free aftercare program, subject to available space.
For families juggling school, work and appointments, those are practical services with consequences well beyond a report-card headline.
Endeavour receives a C overall, C− for academics and C for teachers from Niche, alongside an A for diversity.
The district dashboard reports 658 students in prekindergarten through sixth grade as of Oct. 20, 2026. Federal 2024–25 data show approximately 14.9 students per teacher.
Its recent state results offer a concrete development: Endeavour moved from a Florida school grade of D in 2024–25 to C in 2025–26.
The improvement was uneven across subjects. Its math achievement component increased from 34% to 37%, while English language arts achievement remained at 27%. Science achievement climbed from 25% to 56%.
That science increase stands out, although annual results involve different groups of students and should not be read as a measure of every individual child’s progress.
English language arts learning gains also improved, from 47% to 57%.
The result is a school showing movement in several state measures while reading achievement remains a substantial concern. Its family services and academic results deserve to be considered together, without assuming that the existence of those services proves what caused the improvement.
Fairglen Elementary School, Cocoa Area — Overall Niche Grade: C
Fairglen’s recent results contain a distinction worth keeping: more students making progress does not necessarily mean most students have reached the academic standard.
The school receives a C overall, C for academics and C for teachers, with a B+ for diversity, on its Niche profile.
Its official district data show 461 students in prekindergarten through sixth grade as of Oct. 20, 2026. The National Center for Education Statistics reported approximately 12.5 students per teacher for 2024–25.
Fairglen’s English language arts achievement component increased from 39% in 2024–25 to 43% in 2025–26. Math achievement remained at 36%.
Those figures leave considerable room for improvement. Yet the English language arts learning-gains measure rose from 58% to 66%, indicating that a larger share of students included in that calculation met Florida’s criteria for progress.
Fairglen retained a C under the state’s separate school grading system in both years.
Beyond academics, its school website lists strings instruction and chorus for fifth- and sixth-graders. The chorus program includes opportunities to audition for the Brevard Elementary Music Festival at the King Center.
A morning running club is open to students across the school, while sixth-graders can participate in safety patrol.
These are different kinds of opportunities from the ones captured in an achievement percentage. For families, Fairglen’s recent record raises a useful, specific question: how is the school turning improving reading growth into more students meeting the standard?
That is a more informative conversation than stopping at the C.
Golfview Elementary Magnet School, Rockledge — Overall Niche Grade: C
A school with a flight simulator doesn’t sound like a place short on ambition.
At Golfview Elementary Magnet School, aviation is part of a STEAM approach combining science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. The school describes an aviation and aeronautics simulation lab, hands-on science activities, 3D printers and television production facilities.
The academic results, however, show why engaging programs and strong achievement are separate questions.
Golfview receives a C overall, C for academics and C for teachers from Niche, with an A for diversity.
The district’s current profile lists 397 students in prekindergarten through sixth grade as of Oct. 20, 2026. Its 2024–25 federal staffing ratio was approximately 12.4 students per teacher.
Golfview improved from a Florida school grade of D in 2024–25 to C in 2025–26.
Math achievement rose from 32% to 42%, while English language arts achievement edged from 37% to 38%. The math learning-gains component increased from 39% to 55%.
That is measurable improvement, particularly in math, alongside achievement rates that remain below half of the students included in those components.
The school’s leadership page identifies raising literacy, math and science achievement, encouraging positive behavior and expanding hands-on engagement as priorities.
Golfview also lists a drum line, chorus and student television production on its website. Families have concrete programs to explore here—and concrete academic results against which to assess the school’s progress.
The flight simulator is interesting; what students are learning remains the central question.
University Park Elementary School, Melbourne — Overall Niche Grade: C
University Park’s recent academic record is mixed, with a stronger math achievement figure than English language arts and a notable increase in science.
Its Niche report card gives the school a C overall, C for academics and C for teachers, alongside an A for diversity.
The district dashboard lists 439 students in prekindergarten through sixth grade as of Oct. 20, 2026. Federal data for 2024–25 show approximately 14.7 students per teacher.
In the district’s 2025–26 state accountability figures, University Park’s English language arts achievement component was 37%, compared with 42% in math.
Neither measure changed dramatically from the previous year: English language arts was 36% in 2024–25, while math was 43%.
Science showed a larger increase, from 14% to 33%. That improvement still left the achievement figure below one-third, illustrating how progress and continuing need can exist in the same result.
University Park retained a C in Florida’s separate grading system. Its 2025–26 learning-gains components were 53% in English language arts and 58% in math.
The school also offers ways for students to participate beyond tested subjects. Its program page lists chorus for fourth- through sixth-graders and an Ambassadors club whose student leaders work with the Wellness club on school culture.
For families comparing campuses, University Park’s profile points toward examining instruction by subject. Its shared overall C conceals differences between reading, math and science—and those differences may matter more to an individual child than the headline grade.
A Shared Grade Across Three Different Communities
These schools sit within a county where Niche’s public elementary listings reach as high as an A. The difference between that upper end and the five C grades is meaningful, but the shared letter does not mean the five campuses offer identical experiences.
The schools vary in size, academic results and services. Endeavour’s on-site health resources address practical family needs, while Golfview’s STEAM facilities and the schools’ music programs offer different opportunities for student involvement.
Florida’s learning-gains measures add another dimension: they track progress under state criteria, while achievement measures concern students meeting academic standards. A stronger growth figure can coexist with relatively low achievement.
Niche’s elementary school methodology considers academics, teachers, district quality, culture and diversity, and parent or student feedback. Its overall evaluation therefore draws on more than standardized-test results alone.
For parents, that makes the subject-level results and available services worth examining alongside the letter—particularly when several schools receive exactly the same grade.
What Families Can Take From the Findings
A useful next step is to bring a specific question to the school: what reading support would a child receive, how is progress monitored, or which enrichment opportunities are available at their grade level?
Families can also examine current school improvement plans and ask about access to tutoring, music, aftercare and other services.
For a child who needs help catching up—or a reason to feel excited about coming to school—those details can turn an online comparison into a much more useful conversation.
