Interlachen Junior-Senior High School

Interlachen Junior-Senior High School is a public high school serving grades 7-12 in Interlachen, Florida, with 1,068 students. The school is part of the Putnam School District, which is ranked 58 out of 67 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Despite spending significantly more per student than the state average, Interlachen has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Interlachen Junior-Senior High School has faced significant challenges, with low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and a student population that is economically disadvantaged.

Interlachen's 4-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 88-91% in recent years, slightly below the state average of around 90%. However, the school has very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30-67% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average. Interlachen students also perform well below state and district averages on a variety of standardized tests, including EOCs, FAST ELA, and FAST Math. For example, in 2024-2025, only 34% of Interlachen students were proficient in Algebra 1 EOC compared to 60% statewide.

Interestingly, the two closest schools to Interlachen, Palatka Junior - Senior High School and Q.I. Roberts Junior - Senior High School, have very different performance profiles. While Palatka is also a low-performing school, Q.I. Roberts is a high-performing school ranked in the top 100 in the state, despite spending less per student than Interlachen. This suggests that factors beyond just funding, such as school leadership, teacher quality, and student engagement, may be more important drivers of academic success.