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James Rickards High School

Q: Is James Rickards High School a good school?

James Rickards High School ranks 586 th of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

586^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 838 Florida High Schools

Better than 30% of Florida high schools

Summary

James Rickards High School is a large public high school in Tallahassee, FL, serving 1,718 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Leon County School District. The school faces significant challenges, most notably an extreme chronic absenteeism rate of 65.7%—nearly double the district average and more than double the state average—which is likely a primary driver of its lower academic performance in core subjects like Algebra 1 and English Language Arts. Over half of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high level of economic disadvantage, and the student-to-teacher ratio of 26.1:1 is among the highest in the area.

Despite these hurdles, Rickards shows remarkable and consistent strengths in Biology 1 and US History, where it outperforms all nearby traditional high schools. In the most recent school year, 88% of students were proficient in Biology 1, compared to 64% at Lincoln High School and 56% at Leon High School. Similarly, 92% were proficient in US History, far exceeding the district average of 72% and the 69% at Lincoln. This "Biology & History Paradox" suggests exceptionally effective instruction in these subjects, which could be a model for improvement in other areas. The school also boasts a strong graduation rate of 91.9%, nearly matching the state average, despite its other challenges.

Compared to Amos P. Godby High School, the other most challenged traditional high school in the district, Rickards consistently outperforms in nearly every academic metric, including a significantly higher graduation rate (91.9% vs. 79.2%), despite similar levels of economic disadvantage and absenteeism. This indicates that Rickards may have more effective strategies in place to support student success. While the school spends $8,745 per student—more than Lincoln ($7,845) and Leon ($8,481) but less than Godby ($9,499)—the data suggests that how funds are allocated, particularly toward addressing absenteeism and supporting struggling students in Math and English, is more critical than the total amount spent.

1,718

Students ?

26.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,745

Per pupil spending ?

51.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3013 Jim Lee Rd
Tallahassee, FL 32301

(850) 414-5500

District: Leon

Feeder schools for James Rickards High School:

Elementary:	Bond Elementary School
	Frank Hartsfield Elementary School
	J Michael Conley Elementary School At Southwood
	Oak Ridge Elementary School
	More...
	Pineview Elementary School
	Woodville School
Middle:	Fairview Middle School
	R. Frank Nims Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

71.0%

Hispanic:

10.2%

White:

7.7%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare James Rickards High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 27th percentile in 2016 → 30th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (46% vs 64% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (66% vs 31% Florida)

!Algebra 1 scores 23 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg64%

Florida avg64%

586^th of 838

Florida public high schools ?

Bottom 30%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 8High Schools in the Leon

39^th of 70Leon among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	586 of 838	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.2	585 of 844	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.6	510 of 807	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.2	477 of 792	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.7	508 of 774	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.0	509 of 746	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.5	409 of 734	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.0	474 of 716	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.1	359 of 714	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	23.8	505 of 693	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	17.0	555 of 687	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	25.6	488 of 648	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	28.3	418 of 606	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.1	362 of 622	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.6	382 of 620	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.2	345 of 587	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	52.4	291 of 577	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	57.2	243 of 563	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.9	214 of 477	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	73.5	119 of 487	75.6%	★★★★☆
2004	56.9	224 of 484	53.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

US History92%+18 vs state

Biology 181%+7 vs state

English Language Arts43%-17 vs state

Algebra 140%-23 vs state

Geometry35%-21 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★3

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3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, July 14, 2011

James S. Rickards High School is a GREAT school under the present leadership (Gayle, Wright, Edwards and Whitfield). Close Quote

Schools Near James Rickards High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)		EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC US History (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Rickards High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3013 Jim Lee Rd	Tallahassee	32301	Leon County	Leon	No	Yes	No	Yes	(850) 414-5500	1,718	66	26.1	51.7%	133 (7.7%)	1,220 (71.0%)	175 (10.2%)	112 (6.5%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (4.4%)	29.6	586^th of 838 public high schools	30.1%		30.2	585^th of 844 public high schools	30.7%	1	38.0	48.0	40.0	35.0	81.0	92.0	$8,745	$1,397	$7,348
Pace Center For Girls	Public	6-12	1344 Cross Creek Cir	Tallahassee	32301	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 921-9280	44	3	14.6	93.2%	7 (15.9%)	30 (68.2%)	3 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.8%)								(n/a)							$10,867	$00	$10,867
Leon High School	Public	9-12	550 E Tennessee St	Tallahassee	32308	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 488-1971	1,793	74	24.3	31.2%	714 (39.8%)	684 (38.1%)	213 (11.9%)	49 (2.7%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	131 (7.3%)	48.3	362^nd of 838 public high schools	56.8%		46.7	377^th of 844 public high schools	55.3%	15	67.0	64.0	37.0	56.0	65.0	71.0	$8,481	$524	$7,956
Leon County Virtual School Franchise	Public, Virtual	6-12	283 Trojan Trl	Tallahassee	32311	Leon County	Leon	No	No	Yes	No	(850) 487-7247	88	5	17.6	6.8%	51 (58.0%)	25 (28.4%)	4 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.1%)	50.3	338^th of 838 public high schools	59.7%		59.9	221^st of 844 public high schools	73.8%	117	73.0	64.0		41.0	90.0	61.0	$11,896	$00	$11,895
Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	3838 Trojan Trl	Tallahassee	32311	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 487-2110	1,822	68	26.6	23.1%	768 (42.2%)	651 (35.7%)	178 (9.8%)	82 (4.5%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	140 (7.7%)	50.9	326^th of 838 public high schools	61.1%		43.8	413^th of 844 public high schools	51.1%	87	63.0	67.0	42.0	53.0	76.0	69.0	$7,845	$487	$7,357
Sail	Public	9-12	2006 Jackson Bluff Rd	Tallahassee	32304	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 488-2468	359	19	18.5	29.0%	219 (61.0%)	62 (17.3%)	39 (10.9%)	5 (1.4%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (8.4%)	61	212^th of 838 public high schools	74.7%		66.4	174^th of 844 public high schools	79.4%	38	63.0	72.0	61.0	52.0	75.0	91.0	$12,884	$743	$12,141
Leon County Jail	Public	6-12	860 Blountstown St	Tallahassee	32304	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 410-1249	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Amos P. Godby High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	1717 W Tharpe St	Tallahassee	32304	Leon County	Leon	No	Yes	No	Yes	(850) 488-1325	1,388	65	21.5	57.4%	149 (10.7%)	956 (68.9%)	203 (14.6%)	7 (0.5%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	70 (5.0%)	21.7	659^th of 838 public high schools	21.4%		20.2	664^th of 844 public high schools	21.3%	5	40.0	40.0	23.0	35.0	63.0	59.0	$9,499	$1,566	$7,934
Lively Technical College	Public	9-12	500 Appleyard Dr	Tallahassee	32304	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 487-7555	0	5	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Tallahassee Collegiate Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	444 Appleyard Dr	Tallahassee	32304	Leon County	Tsc	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(850) 504-6300	273	13	21.0	4.4%	79 (28.9%)	149 (54.6%)	33 (12.1%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.3%)	63.9	192^nd of 838 public high schools	77.1%		66.9	171^st of 844 public high schools	79.7%	21	77.0	67.0		56.0	65.0	94.0

Frequently Asked Questions about James Rickards High School

How many students attend James Rickards High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,718 students attended James Rickards High School.

What district is James Rickards High School in?

Leon

What schools feed into James Rickards High School?

James Rickards High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bond Elementary School
Elementary : Frank Hartsfield Elementary School
Elementary : J Michael Conley Elementary School At Southwood
Elementary : Oak Ridge Elementary School
Elementary : Pineview Elementary School
Elementary : Woodville School
Middle : Fairview Middle School
Middle : R. Frank Nims Middle School

What is the racial makeup of James Rickards High School?

Students at James Rickards High School are 71% African American, 10% Hispanic, 8% White, 7% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

Is James Rickards High School a good school?

James Rickards High School ranks 586^th of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate James Rickards High School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.