High Schools in Holmes

The three high schools in the Holmes County School District serve grades 6 through 12, offering a mix of traditional and alternative education options in a rural Florida area where the district itself ranks in the bottom third of the state.

Ponce De Leon High School is the clear standout, having jumped from a 1-star to a 3-star rating and now ranking in the 63rd percentile statewide. It leads the district in math, with Algebra 1 proficiency at 44% compared to just 16% at Holmes County High School. Both of these main high schools boast excellent graduation rates above 95%, exceeding the state average. However, Graduation Assistance Program (GAP) is a small alternative program facing severe challenges, with a graduation rate of only 44.4% and an alarming 80.5% chronic absenteeism rate. Despite comparable per-student funding across all three schools, GAP's performance is critically low, suggesting its high-need population requires different support strategies.

A key takeaway is that all three schools struggle with chronic absenteeism well above the state average of 31.4%, even at high-performing Ponce De Leon (45.7%). This creates a paradox where the school with the highest absenteeism also has the best academic results, indicating that the students who attend are highly engaged. District-wide, math proficiency in Algebra 1 (40%) and Geometry (34%) lags significantly behind state averages, pointing to a systemic need for stronger math instruction. For parents, Ponce De Leon High School offers the strongest academic trajectory, while Holmes County High School provides a traditional experience with a strong graduation rate but needs major improvement in math.