Summary:
Zip code 34602 in Brooksville, FL, is served by a single elementary school, Eastside Elementary School, which educates 754 students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade within the Hernando district.
Eastside Elementary shows a notable pattern of early strength followed by later struggles. In the 2025-2026 school year, 3rd graders achieved a 72% math proficiency rate, outperforming both the district (65%) and state (66%) averages. However, by 5th grade, math proficiency dropped to just 36%, far below the state average of 62%, and 5th grade science proficiency was 46% compared to the state's 60%. This dramatic decline suggests a systemic challenge in preparing students for upper-elementary standards. The school's overall ranking places it in the 31st-35th percentile statewide, earning a consistent 2-star rating, while the district ranks 46th out of 70 in Florida.
A critical concern is the chronic absenteeism rate of 43.8% for the 2023-2024 school year, which is significantly worse than the state average of 31.4% and likely a major factor in the academic struggles, especially in upper grades. With 70.69% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, the school serves a high-poverty population. Despite spending $11,429 per student, the combination of high absenteeism and declining performance in grades 4 and 5 indicates that current resources may not be effectively targeting the root causes, such as attendance intervention or targeted tutoring for math and science.
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