Eastside Elementary School

Eastside Elementary School in Brooksville, FL, serves 754 students from Pre-K through 5th grade in the Hernando district, a community where about 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school has shown a strong positive trajectory, climbing from a historic low in 2021-2022 to a 2-star rating, and it stands out for its excellent 3rd-grade math performance—72% of students were proficient, beating both the district and state averages. However, this early strength fades dramatically by 5th grade, where math proficiency has dropped to just 36%, a steep 26 points below the state average and a key area of concern for parents to watch.

One of the biggest challenges at Eastside is chronic absenteeism, which affects nearly 44% of students—the highest rate among nearby schools like Brooksville Elementary School (32%) and far above top performers like Challenger K-8 School Of Science And Math (14%). This absenteeism rate is also higher than the state average of 31%, and it directly impacts learning, especially as students move into upper grades. When compared to similar schools in the Pasco district, such as San Antonio Elementary School, Eastside spends more per student ($11,429 vs. $9,821) but achieves similar test scores, suggesting the higher spending helps offset the challenges of serving a higher-poverty population.

Despite these hurdles, Eastside has made meaningful progress from its lowest point just a few years ago, and its 3rd-grade math scores are a clear bright spot. The school’s student-teacher ratio of 15:1 is slightly better than many peers, which can support more individualized attention. For parents, the key takeaway is that Eastside offers strong early-grade instruction but struggles to maintain momentum in upper elementary, especially in math. The stark gap between Eastside and high-performing schools like Chocachatti Elementary School—where 86% of 5th graders are proficient in math—highlights the need for targeted support as students advance.