Summary:
In zip code 33525 (Dade City, FL), there are two high schools serving grades 9-12 within the Pasco school district: a large traditional school and a small alternative academy.
Pasco High School is the area's primary comprehensive high school, enrolling 1,523 students. It boasts a strong graduation rate of 96.7%, well above the state average, but this success is contradicted by very low academic proficiency—only 14% of students are proficient in Algebra 1 compared to 63% statewide. The school ranks in the bottom 23rd percentile of Florida high schools and has a chronic absenteeism rate of 52.7%, nearly double the state average. In stark contrast, East Pasco Education Academy is a specialized alternative school with just 80 students and an extremely low student-teacher ratio of 4.5:1. It spends an extraordinary $63,837 per student—over six times more than Pasco High—yet has the lowest state ranking (3rd percentile) and a last-reported graduation rate of only 6.3%. Its chronic absenteeism rate is even higher at 58.9%.
The most critical takeaway for parents is the widespread crisis of chronic absenteeism, affecting over half of all students at both schools. This suggests significant engagement challenges across the community. Pasco High School presents a puzzling "graduation vs. readiness" gap, where students earn diplomas without achieving grade-level academic skills. East Pasco Education Academy, despite its massive per-student investment, appears focused on serving a highly at-risk population rather than driving high test scores. Neither school model is currently producing strong academic outcomes, indicating systemic educational challenges in the Dade City area that parents should investigate further.
Thank you for your feedback!