Located in HAWTHORNE, FL. Serving grades 06 through 12.
Hawthorne Middle/High School is the single public school in Hawthorne, Florida, serving students from sixth grade through twelfth grade. It sits within Alachua County and is part of the Alachua district. For families in town, it is simply where children go to school after elementary years; there is no separate middle school building and no alternative public high school in the immediate community.
The school draws a population that is roughly split between Black and white students, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. A substantial majority of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of a small rural town. Data on English learners and special education identification rates were not available in the records we reviewed.
State assessment results from Florida's FAST and statewide science tests give a candid picture of where academic performance stands. Across the tested middle school grades, math proficiency is low in sixth and seventh grade and notably weaker still in eighth. ELA results sit in a similar range across those three grades, with eighth grade performing somewhat better on reading and writing than on math. Eighth-grade science proficiency is also low. Placed against the two districts in Alachua County, the school's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom portion of that comparison, well below the county midpoint. A parent who cares about tested academic attainment should weigh this carefully and may want to ask school staff directly about instructional supports, intervention programs, and any improvement plans underway. A four-year graduation rate was not available in the data we reviewed, so it is not possible to characterize how students complete high school here.
No program offerings data was included in the records for this school, so AP courses, dual enrollment, career and technical pathways, or extracurricular depth could not be confirmed or described. A parent exploring what the high school years look like academically for their child would want to contact the school directly to ask what courses are offered in grades nine through twelve.
One district-level development worth knowing: Alachua County voters renewed an existing property tax in late 2024 that funds arts, music, band, chorus, counseling, school nurses, librarians, and career-technical programs across the district. Publicly reported accounts describe this tax as paying all or part of the salaries of a substantial share of district teachers. Because it was a renewal rather than a new levy, it did not raise bills, but its continuation is what keeps many of these staff and programs funded through the end of the decade. That includes Hawthorne's students.
The town itself is a small community in North Central Florida, set in a rural landscape roughly a short drive from Gainesville and the University of Florida. Local commerce runs to family-owned businesses and town services. The area's economic development is centered on a large industrial park being developed by Weyerhaeuser on a tract zoned for manufacturing and distribution, situated in a federally designated Opportunity Zone; this represents the primary growth story for the local area, though no major new residential development was confirmed in available sources. The City of Hawthorne also maintains its own economic development and redevelopment offices.
Housing in the zip code is notably more affordable than the Florida statewide median, and the area sits well below state home value benchmarks. Home values have been essentially flat over the past year. For families weighing housing cost against school access, the low price point relative to Florida overall is real, and rental cost data for the area was not available in the records reviewed.
Chronic absenteeism data was not available for this school, and discipline data was also absent. Those are two lenses that often clarify student environment; parents would be well served by asking about both when visiting or contacting the school.
Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.
Officially reported figures, 2024-25.
All reported measures, by topic.