Best Public Schools in Zip Code 32626

The four public schools in zip code 32626 (Chiefland, FL) serve students from Pre-K through 12th grade within the Levy County School District, a district ranked in the lower third of Florida, and are characterized by high levels of economic disadvantage, with 53% to 76% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Chiefland Middle High School stands out as the academic leader, boasting a 96.1% graduation rate that far exceeds the state average, along with strong proficiency in US History (80%) and Civics (77%). In contrast, Whispering Winds Charter School excels in student engagement, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 18.4%—dramatically lower than the district and state averages of over 31%. Nature Coast Middle School, the smallest school with only 84 students, punches above its weight in advanced math, with 60% of its Algebra 1 students scoring proficient, nearly matching the state average. Meanwhile, Chiefland Elementary School is the largest school (725 students) but struggles with the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the area at 41.7%.

A key finding is the "8th grade slump": only 25% of 8th graders at both Chiefland Middle High and Nature Coast Middle were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to a 60% state average. This is puzzling because younger students show strong math skills—71% of 6th graders at Chiefland Middle High and 73% of 3rd graders at Whispering Winds were proficient, exceeding state averages. Spending per student varies from $9,489 at Nature Coast Middle to $11,381 at Chiefland Middle High, with the higher-spending school achieving better overall outcomes, though the smaller school excels in targeted areas like Algebra 1. This suggests that while funding matters, how it is allocated is critical for student success.