Summary:
The city of Havana, Florida, is home to two public schools within the Gadsden County School District, serving students from Pre-K through 12th grade in a community where over 84% of students face economic disadvantage.
The standout school in the area is Havana Magnet School, which serves grades PK-8 and significantly outperforms both the district and state averages in key subjects. For the 2025-2026 school year, it achieved 77% proficiency in Algebra 1 and an impressive 92% proficiency in Biology 1, far exceeding the state averages of 63% and 74%, respectively. This school also shows a positive upward trend in its state ranking, moving from the 12th percentile to the 25th percentile. In stark contrast, Gadsden County High School (grades 9-12) is struggling with a critically high chronic absenteeism rate of 74.1%, which is more than double the state average and a primary driver of its poor academic outcomes, such as a 26% proficiency rate in Algebra 1 and a graduation rate of 80.4% (compared to the state average of 92.2%).
Key differences between the two schools include resource allocation and student engagement. Havana Magnet School spends $15,496 per student with a favorable 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio, while the high school spends only $11,039 per student with a much higher 24.6:1 ratio. While Havana Magnet excels in upper-grade subjects, it shows some foundational gaps in early elementary grades, such as 37% proficiency in 4th-grade math. The high school’s absenteeism crisis is the most pressing issue, making academic progress nearly impossible regardless of instructional quality. Overall, Havana Magnet School represents a strong educational asset within the district, while the high school requires urgent intervention to address its systemic challenges.
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