High Schools in Alachua

The Alachua County school district in Florida oversees 14 high schools serving grades 9-12, ranging from large comprehensive schools to small alternative and charter programs, and the district itself ranks 50th out of 70 in the state, indicating significant challenges alongside notable bright spots.

The district's top academic performers are its magnet schools. Santa Fe College Academy Of Science And Technology leads with the highest state rank (86th percentile) and exceptional proficiency rates, while Professional Academy Magnet At Loften High School boasts a 96.7% graduation rate and strong test scores. F. W. Buchholz High School, the largest school, is a consistent high performer with a 95.6% graduation rate. In contrast, several schools face severe struggles: A.Quinn Jones Center ranks at the very bottom (0th percentile) with 0% proficiency in most subjects and a 73.9% chronic absenteeism rate, while North Central Florida Public Charter School has a 47.1% graduation rate and 88% absenteeism. Newberry High School shows a concerning decline, dropping from the 67th to 45th percentile in state rankings.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide crisis, averaging 31.6% and strongly linked to low performance and high economic disadvantage. The data also reveals that higher spending does not guarantee success: A.Quinn Jones Center spends $41,111 per student with the worst outcomes, while Santa Fe College Academy spends only $7,429 per student and achieves the best results. Virtual schools like Alachua Eschool (Virtual Franchise) also struggle, with a 66.7% graduation rate and high absenteeism, showing that online learning is not a simple solution. Overall, the district is deeply split between high-performing magnet schools and a cluster of small, high-need alternative schools that drag down its average.