Best Public Schools in Cocoa, FL

The city of Cocoa, Florida, is home to 13 diverse schools within the Brevard County School District, serving approximately 7,497 students from elementary through high school, and includes traditional schools, charter options, and alternative programs.

There is a stark performance divide among Cocoa's schools. Enterprise Elementary School is the standout elementary school, ranking in the 90th percentile statewide with test scores often exceeding district averages by 20-30 points. In contrast, Endeavour Elementary School faces significant challenges, ranking in the 4th percentile with proficiency rates 30-40 points below the district. At the high school level, Space Coast Junior/Senior High School is the top performer with a 96.8% graduation rate and strong EOC exam scores, while Cocoa High School struggles with an 80.3% graduation rate and consistently low test scores. The Brevard Virtual Franchise is a unique success story, achieving a 100% graduation rate and exceptionally low chronic absenteeism of 1.2%, while Emma Jewel Charter Academy presents a paradox: it ranks low overall but achieves perfect or near-perfect scores on advanced Algebra 1 exams.

A key takeaway is that higher spending does not guarantee better results. The three highest-spending schools—Fairglen Elementary School, Cambridge Elementary Magnet School, and Saturn Elementary School—are all low-performing, while the lowest-spending schools, Space Coast High and Enterprise Elementary, are top performers. Chronic absenteeism is also a powerful indicator of struggle, with Endeavour Elementary (36.9%) and Fairglen Elementary (34.8%) having the highest rates and lowest rankings, whereas top schools like Enterprise (14.7%) and Atlantis Elementary School (19.7%) have much lower absenteeism.