Summary:
The zip code 32431 in Cottondale, Florida, is served by two public schools within the Jackson County School District, a district ranked 48th out of 70 in Florida: Cottondale Elementary School (PK-5) and Cottondale High School (6-12).
The standout school in this area is Cottondale High School, which consistently earns a 3-star rating and significantly outperforms both the district and state averages in key subjects like Algebra 1 (78% proficient vs. 63% state) and 10th Grade ELA (75% vs. 61% state). In contrast, Cottondale Elementary School has declined to a 1-star rating and struggles to meet state averages in most subjects, though it showed a bright spot with a jump to 59% proficiency in 5th Grade Science. The high school also boasts a graduation rate of 87.7%, though this trails the state average of 92.2%.
The most critical issue across both schools is chronic absenteeism, which is alarmingly high. Cottondale High School has a chronic absenteeism rate of 61.0%—nearly double the state average of 31.4%—while Cottondale Elementary School sits at 40.3%. This suggests that getting students to attend class regularly is a fundamental challenge that likely undermines academic progress, even where strong instruction exists. The high school's performance is also uneven, with excellent results in Algebra and English but weak scores in 8th Grade Math (33%) and US History (50%), indicating that success may be concentrated in specific departments rather than school-wide.
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