Graduation Rates up at District’s Traditional High Schools
The percentage of students in Alachua County Public Schools’ traditional high schools who graduated on time increased in 2024, according to data released late yesterday by the Florida Department of Education.
The collective graduation rate for the seven ACPS high schools was 92.7%, up from 90.2% in 2023. Those schools include Buchholz, Eastside, Gainesville, Hawthorne, Newberry, Professional Academies Magnet (PAM) @ Loften and Santa Fe high schools.
Five of the seven high schools recorded higher graduation rates for the Class of 2024. Gainesville High School had the largest increase, with a rate of 93.6% in 2024, up from 82.5% in 2023. The Professional Academies Magnet@Loften High School had the highest overall rate, with 100% of its seniors graduating on time, compared to 94.1% in 2023.
The graduation rate also increased at Buchholz High School (96.1%, up from 95.6%)), Eastside High School (89%, up from 86.7%) and Newberry High School (96.8%, up from 94.4%). Rates were lower at Hawthorne High School (82%, down from 90.6%) and Santa Fe High School (86.4%, down from 89.9%).
Sidney Lanier School, a special center which serves students with disabilities from kindergarten through 12th grade, also graduated 100% of its seniors in 2024.
The total 2024 graduation rate for all publicly-funded schools serving 12th-graders in Alachua County, including charter schools and alternative programs, such as the Department of Juvenile Justice, was 84.1%, a slight decrease from last year’s rate of 84.2%.
“We are proud of the gains made by our traditional high schools, which serve the vast majority of our students,” said Superintendent Dr. Kamela Patton. “We are going to be very focused on ensuring all students in Alachua County are graduating on time.”