Original Research by School Decision on Matanzas High School
Matanzas High School sits on Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, serving students from eighth grade through twelfth, and its enrollment places it comfortably in the range you would expect from a full-size suburban high school. The eighth-grade cohort is very small, suggesting that grade functions more as a feeder transition than a full program, while the ninth through twelfth grades carry the bulk of enrollment in fairly even distribution. Just under four in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a meaningful share but not a majority, and the school's racial and ethnic makeup is predominantly white with Hispanic and Black students representing the next largest groups, followed by students of two or more races and smaller Asian and other populations. Data on students with IEPs and English learners was not available in the records we reviewed, so a parent with specific questions about special education services or English language support would want to ask the school directly.
State assessment results and multi-year academic trend data were not available for Matanzas in this data set, so we cannot characterize proficiency levels or trajectory here. Graduation rate data was also absent from what was provided. Comparisons relative to districts in Flagler County were likewise not computable because those underlying figures were missing. A parent looking to compare academic outcomes should ask the school for its Florida School Report Card results, which the state publishes annually.
Program information was not included in the data we received. We looked but could not confirm specific AP course offerings, dual enrollment, career and technical education pathways, or extracurricular programs, so those are worth asking about directly.
The surrounding community shapes the practical context. Palm Coast was built from the ground up as a master-planned development starting in the early 1970s and carries that DNA visibly today: low-density single-family neighborhoods, golf courses, canals, and wooded sections organized into lettered alphabet sections, with commercial life concentrated along corridors like Palm Coast Parkway. Most of daily life is car-dependent, though the city maintains an extensive trail and path network, and Town Center functions as the emerging downtown with a park, library branch, and street-level shops. The area is growing quickly, with large residential and commercial developments approved in what is described publicly as a landmark period of expansion, including significant westward development projects that will add a substantial number of homes and commercial space to the area. Families relocating here should expect a community that is still actively building out its identity and infrastructure.
The housing market near the school runs at values that sit close to the statewide median and modestly above the national median, with home prices that have edged slightly downward year over year while rents have held roughly flat. The rent-to-income ratio sits at a level that is generally considered manageable relative to national norms, which makes renting a viable option for families not yet ready to buy in a market where mortgage costs have risen along with rates nationally.
One district-level policy change is worth knowing about. Flagler Schools has implemented a strict all-day cellphone ban that covers the school day entirely. Middle school students are now required to keep devices off for the full day under a Florida law that took effect in mid-2025, extending enforcement that was already in place at the elementary level. The district has publicly reported a substantial drop in discipline referrals tied to device use since the restrictions went into effect. For high school students, the same spirit applies in terms of district culture around devices, and families should clarify current high school policy with the school directly.
Health care anchors the local economy, with AdventHealth operating multiple facilities in Palm Coast and now representing the county's largest employment sector. The City of Palm Coast and county government are also significant employers. For families weighing career-connected education, proximity to a growing health care sector is a practical backdrop worth considering when exploring what technical or dual-enrollment pathways the school may offer.
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