Summary:
In zip code 34613, located in Brooksville, Florida, there is one high school, Central High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of the Hernando County School District, a district ranked 46th out of 70 in Florida.
Central High School presents a mixed picture for parents. On the positive side, the school boasts a very high graduation rate of 95.0% for the 2024-2025 school year, which is above both the district average of 93.5% and the state average of 92.2%. However, this success is contrasted by significant challenges. The school has an alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rate of 46.9%, meaning nearly half of all students miss enough school to be considered chronically absent. This is far above the state average of 31.4% and likely contributes to the school's low academic performance. In core subjects like Algebra 1, only 27% of students are proficient, compared to 63% statewide. The school's state ranking has also been declining, dropping from the 39th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 29th percentile in 2025-2026, and its star rating has fallen from 2 stars to 1 star.
Key metrics show that 46.68% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic disadvantage. The student-teacher ratio is 18.7 to 1, slightly higher than the state average, and per-student spending is $10,673, which is below the Florida average. The most interesting takeaway is the "graduation vs. proficiency paradox": while the school is very effective at getting students to graduate, a large majority are not mastering core academic content. The high chronic absenteeism rate is likely a root cause of the low test scores, and the school's declining performance trajectory suggests that current resource allocation may not be effectively addressing these critical needs.
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