High Schools in Charlotte

There are six high schools in the Charlotte County, Florida school district, serving grades 9-12 and ranging from a small technical college to large comprehensive schools, with the district itself ranking 29th out of 70 in the state.

The standout school is Florida Southwestern Collegiate High School, which is ranked 46th in the state and earns a 5-star rating. It achieves exceptional test scores, with US History proficiency at 99%, a 97.3% graduation rate, and an incredibly low 9.3% chronic absenteeism rate. In stark contrast, The Academy is ranked 726th in the state with a 1-star rating, facing severe challenges including a 65.8% graduation rate and an alarming 87.5% chronic absenteeism rate. Among traditional high schools, Lemon Bay High School is the highest-ranked, consistently performing above district averages with a 98.4% graduation rate. Charlotte High School and Port Charlotte High School fall in the middle, while Charlotte Technical College is an outlier with only 12 students and functions more as a specialized training center.

A key finding is that higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes; The Academy spends the most per student ($23,932) but has the worst performance, while Florida Southwestern Collegiate High School spends the least ($9,087) and achieves the best results. Chronic absenteeism is a powerful predictor of school health, and Algebra 1 proficiency is a district-wide weakness, with the district average of 56% falling below the state average of 63%. This data reveals a two-tier system where a specialized, high-achieving school contrasts sharply with a struggling school serving a high-needs population.