High Schools in Citrus

There are six high schools in the Citrus County school district, serving grades 9-12 across a mix of large traditional public schools and smaller specialized programs. The district overall ranks 53rd out of 70 in Florida, but one school stands out dramatically from the rest.

The Academy Of Environmental Science is the clear top performer, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the top 20% of Florida high schools. It achieves 94% proficiency in Biology 1 and 73% in 10th Grade ELA, far exceeding both district and state averages. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 17.4%, a stark contrast to the three traditional high schools—Lecanto High School, Citrus High School, and Crystal River High School—which all have absenteeism rates above 40%. Despite its high performance, the Academy spends the least per student ($8,945), while Crystal River spends the most ($10,775) yet has the lowest state ranking and highest absenteeism. The alternative schools, Pace Center For Girls and Camp E-Nini Hassee, serve very small, specialized populations with limited test score data.

A key paradox is that all three traditional high schools have graduation rates above the state average of 92.2%, with Citrus High School leading at 97.4%, yet their math proficiency in Algebra 1 and Geometry is 20-30 percentage points below state averages. This suggests a disconnect between graduation requirements and academic mastery. Math is a district-wide weakness, with only the Academy meeting state averages. For parents, the Academy of Environmental Science offers a proven model of high achievement and student engagement, while the traditional schools excel at graduating students but struggle with chronic absenteeism and core academic proficiency.