First Coast High School

First Coast High School is a large public high school in Jacksonville, FL, serving over 2,000 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Duval County Public School District. The school has a history of consistent, middling performance, earning a 2-star rating from Schooldigger for most of the last decade, with a current state ranking in the 38th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year. It serves a moderately high-needs population, with roughly 42-49% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch in recent years.

A critical weakness at First Coast is its alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rate, which reached 53.6% in 2023-2024, significantly worse than the district average of 44.8% and far exceeding the state average of 31.4%. This trend has been steadily climbing from 23.5% in 2019-2020 and is likely a major driver of the school's academic struggles. While academic performance is below average in core subjects like Algebra 1 (39% proficient vs. 63% state) and 10th-grade ELA (52% vs. 61% state), the school is not the lowest-performing in its vicinity, outperforming schools like Terry Parker High School and Biscayne High School in most metrics. A notable bright spot is US History, where 72% of students were proficient in 2025-2026, nearly on par with the state average of 74%, suggesting a potential strength in the social studies department.

Despite low test scores and high absenteeism, First Coast’s graduation rate is a consistent positive metric, reaching 92.7% for the 2024-2025 school year, which is above the state average of 92.2%. This creates a "graduation vs. proficiency" paradox, where many students earn diplomas without mastering foundational skills. The contrast with Stanton College Preparatory, a magnet school just 9.8 miles away with a 5-star rating and near-perfect test scores, highlights the extreme educational inequality within the district. First Coast’s per-student spending ($8,458) is lower than many peers, suggesting that how funds are used is more critical than the amount. Encouragingly, the school’s state ranking has shown a slight upward trend over the last three years, moving from the 33rd percentile to the 38th percentile, indicating that small, positive results may be emerging despite significant challenges.