Summary:
Keystone Heights, Florida, is home to a single high school, Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School, which serves grades 7 through 12 with a total enrollment of 1,139 students as part of the Clay County School District, a highly-ranked district (76th percentile, 4-star rating).
The school shows a mixed performance profile with notable strengths and significant challenges. A standout strength is Civics proficiency, where the school consistently outperforms both the district and state averages, reaching 84% proficiency in the most recent year. Additionally, 8th Grade Math is a major bright spot, with 73% of students proficient, well above the state average of 61%. However, the most critical issue is a chronic absenteeism rate of 39.2%, which is dramatically higher than the district (26.7%) and state (31.4%) averages. This likely drives the school's struggles in English Language Arts (ELA), where 8th Grade ELA proficiency is only 44% (vs. 60% state) and 10th Grade ELA is 51% (vs. 61% state). The school's state ranking has also declined over three years, dropping from a 4-star to a 3-star rating.
Key metrics reveal a school with high economic need (59.61% free/reduced lunch eligibility) and a student-teacher ratio of 16.8:1, spending $12,136 per student. The graduation rate of 91.2% is close to the state average of 92.2%. A fascinating dichotomy exists in math: 7th Grade Math is a weakness (44% proficient), while 8th Grade Math is a strength (73% proficient), suggesting a possible effective intervention or teaching change between those grades. The school also shows a pronounced "middle school slump" in 8th grade, especially in ELA and Science, which requires targeted support. Overall, while the school excels in Civics and 8th Grade Math, addressing the chronic absenteeism crisis is the most urgent priority for improving academic outcomes.
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