Summary:
Zip code 32180 (Pierson, FL) is home to a single high school, T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High School, which serves grades 6 through 12 with a total enrollment of 1,044 students as part of the Volusia County school district.
T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High School presents a mixed picture for parents. Its most impressive statistic is a near-perfect graduation rate of 99.2% for the 2024-2025 school year, significantly outperforming both the district (95.6%) and state (92.2%) averages. However, this success is contrasted by a very high chronic absenteeism rate of 44.3%, which is well above the district (34.1%) and state (31.4%) averages. The school also struggles with academic proficiency, ranking 505th out of 838 high schools in Florida (40th percentile, 2 stars). While 72% of students are proficient in Biology 1, math scores are a persistent weakness, with only 45% proficient in Algebra 1 and 30% in 7th-grade math, both below state averages. The school spends $12,254 per student, and 60.44% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.
The most notable finding is the "graduation vs. proficiency paradox": the school excels at ensuring students complete high school but struggles to bring a majority to grade-level academic standards, particularly in math. The high chronic absenteeism rate is likely a primary driver of these low test scores. On a positive note, the school showed year-over-year improvement from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026 in Algebra 1 (37% to 45% proficient), 10th-grade ELA (44% to 55%), and US History (56% to 65%), suggesting recent interventions may be taking effect. Parents should weigh the school's strong graduation outcomes against its challenges with attendance and core academic proficiency.
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