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Desoto Secondary School

Public, Alternative Grades K-12
1183rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,205 Florida Alternative Schools
Better than 2% of Florida alternative schools
Summary

Desoto Secondary School is an alternative public school in Arcadia, Florida, serving grades KG-12 with a total enrollment of 68 students. As part of the Desoto District, which is ranked 66th out of 67 districts in Florida and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger, Desoto Secondary School faces significant challenges in student performance and engagement.

The school's graduation rates have fluctuated widely, ranging from 12.5% to 89.7% over the past few years, well below the district and state averages. Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern, with rates ranging from 30.9% to 80.3%. Academically, Desoto Secondary School's proficiency rates in key subjects like Algebra 1 (5%), 7th grade ELA (14%), and 7th grade Math (0%) are significantly lower than the district and state averages. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 80.88% to 84.29%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Interestingly, the nearby schools within the Desoto District, such as Desoto Virtual Academy, Desoto Virtual Franchise, and Reduced Services, share similar characteristics with Desoto Secondary School, suggesting systemic challenges within the district. Addressing the underlying factors that contribute to these challenges, such as socioeconomic conditions and community-level support, will be crucial in improving the educational outcomes for the students at Desoto Secondary School and the broader Desoto District.

51
Students ?
51.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$20,793
Per pupil spending ?
52.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 318 N Wilson Ave
       Arcadia, FL  34266

(863) 494-9303

District: Desoto

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
49.0%
African American:
29.4%
White:
15.7%
more
 See top rated Florida elementary schools

 Compare Desoto Secondary School to nearby alternative schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 2nd percentile in 2019 → 14th in 2025
Strengths
✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2019
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Florida average (12% vs 56% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)
!Graduation rate below the Florida average (12% vs 90%)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school12%
District avg38%
Florida avg56%
Middle school
1,183rd of 1,205
Florida public middle schools ?
Bottom 2%▬ steady since 2019
See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
High school
722nd of 844
Florida public high schools ?
Bottom 14%▲ up 2 pts since 2018
See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
66th of 67Desoto among Florida districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankFlorida percentileRating
20252.61183 of 12051.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20249.11114 of 11966.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20236.01113 of 11775.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20225.91100 of 11484.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20214.91115 of 11361.8%☆☆☆☆☆
20193.21077 of 10992.0%☆☆☆☆☆
High school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankFlorida percentileRating
20256.4722 of 84414.5%★☆☆☆☆
20249.2676 of 80716.2%★☆☆☆☆
20221.6767 of 7740.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20194.9654 of 73410.9%★☆☆☆☆
20185.6628 of 71612.3%★☆☆☆☆
By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts19%-37 vs state
Algebra 15%-55 vs state
Math0%-50 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about Desoto Secondary School

Students at Desoto Secondary School are 49% Hispanic, 29% African American, 16% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Desoto Secondary School ranks in the bottom 1.8% of Florida alternative schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 51 students attended Desoto Secondary School.


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FLFlorida Alternative School Rankings

FLFlorida District Rankings

Schools in Arcadia, FL

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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