Murdock Middle School

Q: Is Murdock Middle School a good school?

Murdock Middle School ranks 632 nd of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Murdock Middle School is a public middle school in Port Charlotte, Florida, serving 577 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Charlotte District, which is ranked 37 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Murdock Middle School stands out for its strong performance on End-of-Course (EOC) exams, particularly in Algebra 1 and Civics, where it outpaces the district and state averages. However, the school struggles with higher chronic absenteeism rates and lower proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math FAST assessments compared to nearby schools like L.A. Ainger Middle School, Punta Gorda Middle School, and Port Charlotte Middle School. Murdock Middle School also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 50.2% to 56.68% over the past three school years.

Murdock Middle School's diverse student population, with a higher percentage of minority students compared to nearby schools, is an interesting characteristic. Additionally, the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 16.9 to 18.8 over the past three years, may be a contributing factor to its academic successes in certain areas. To address the challenges faced by Murdock Middle School, the district and school administration should focus on strategies to improve attendance and academic performance in ELA and Math, while also leveraging the school's strengths in EOC exams to drive overall student achievement.

Detail:

Public 6-8

17325 Mariner Way
Port Charlotte, FL 33948

(941) 255-7525

District: Charlotte

SchoolDigger Rank:
632^nd of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,520

Students who attend Murdock Middle School usually attend:

High:

Port Charlotte High School

Feeder schools for Murdock Middle School:

Elementary:	Liberty Elementary School
	Meadow Park Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.9

Number of students: 577

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.2%

Hispanic:

23.6%

African American:

10.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 55.8%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Murdock Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Murdock Middle School ranks worse than 52.8% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Charlotte School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.74. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Murdock Middle School has the smallest middle school student body size in the Charlotte School District. Racial makeup is: White (57.2%), Hispanic (23.6%), African American (10.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 55.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Charlotte School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Murdock Middle School is 16.9, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Charlotte School District! (See more...)

Compare Murdock Middle School employs 34 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Murdock Middle School is $12,520, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Charlotte School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Murdock Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Murdock Middle School 632^nd of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Murdock Middle School in the ranking list.)

Charlotte:

SchoolDigger ranks Charlotte 37^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Murdock Middle School.

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Rank History for Murdock Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	76.23	124^th	593	79.1%
2005	70.80	159^th	602	73.6%
2006	63.90	236^th	675	65.0%
2007	61.02	294^th	736	60.1%
2008	64.21	282^nd	740	61.9%
2009	61.22	321^st	780	58.8%
2010	64.92	310^th	839	63.1%
2011	62.57	348^th	891	60.9%
2012	53.12	435^th	897	51.5%
2013	50.81	475^th	956	50.3%
2014	38.66	620^th	999	37.9%
2016	45.10	547^th	997	45.1%
2017	45.10	561^st	1031	45.6%
2018	41.24	611^th	1035	41.0%
2019	42.60	646^th	1099	41.2%
2021	49.74	562^nd	1136	50.5%
2022	44.59	619^th	1148	46.1%
2023	54.40	502^nd	1177	57.3%
2024	46.74	632^nd	1196	47.2%

See the entire list of Florida Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, August 2, 2011

I love this school. I had two children there. (one still goes) The teachers try all kinds of things to motivate them and help them succeed. They have some issues, like all middle schools, but they take action to handle them. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Murdock Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1990	644	54	2	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	722
1991	686	61	1	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	774
1992	726	88	3	23	1	n/a	n/a	0	841
1993	737	94	2	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	851
1994	762	95	2	24	2	n/a	n/a	0	885
1995	828	101	12	40	2	n/a	n/a	0	983
1996	828	101	12	40	2	n/a	n/a	0	983
1997	840	95	13	38	2	n/a	n/a	0	988
1998	798	93	16	36	2	n/a	n/a	0	945
1999	776	90	17	42	4	n/a	n/a	0	929
2000	751	88	13	44	3	n/a	n/a	0	899
2001	812	98	13	40	3	n/a	n/a	0	966
2002	850	119	9	55	2	n/a	n/a	0	1035
2003	850	119	9	55	2	n/a	n/a	0	1035
2004	885	130	16	55	4	n/a	n/a	0	1090
2005	824	132	19	62	4	n/a	n/a	0	1041
2006	749	106	18	74	4	n/a	n/a	0	951
2007	665	95	14	81	5	n/a	n/a	42	902
2008	703	106	9	84	3	n/a	n/a	44	949
2009	691	94	9	78	3	n/a	n/a	52	927
2010	657	101	14	84	2	n/a	n/a	58	916
2011	563	96	15	110	2	0	37	0	823
2012	561	89	9	105	5	1	35	0	805
2013	549	94	7	105	3	0	31	0	789
2014	567	96	10	110	2	0	40	0	825
2015	554	91	7	117	3	1	38	0	811
2016	526	89	7	103	2	2	41	0	770
2017	524	80	5	111	0	1	47	0	768
2018	455	82	6	118	2	1	41	0	705
2019	425	79	8	122	2	4	43	0	683
2020	403	69	6	120	3	5	57	0	663
2021	320	35	3	107	1	3	43	0	512
2022	384	57	7	149	0	3	51	0	651
2023	330	58	13	136	0	1	39	0	577

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Murdock Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	722	33.0	21.8	25.8
1991	774	35.0	22.1	26.9
1992	841	39.0	21.5	22.1
1993	851	40.0	21.3	4.5
1994	885	42.0	21.1	26.2
1995	983	44.0	22.3	31.9
1996	983	44.0	22.3	31.9
1997	988	42.0	23.5	31.4
1998	945	43.0	22.0	32.6
1999	929	40.0	23.2	48.3
2000	899	38.0	23.7	44.2
2001	966	45.0	21.5	40.8
2002	1035	47.0	22.0	47.1
2003	1035	47.0	22.0	47.1
2004	1090	49.0	22.2	37.6
2005	1041	54.0	19.3	30.6
2006	951	48.0	19.8	46.6
2007	902	49.0	18.4	48.5
2008	949	53.0	17.9	53.3
2009	927	63.1	17.5	58.6
2010	916	50.5	18.1	69.5
2011	823	45.4	18.1	65.7
2012	805	39.6	20.3	70.4
2013	789	40.0	19.7	69.3
2014	825	40.0	20.6	71.3
2015	811	43.0	18.8	71.4
2016	770	41.0	18.7	68.4
2017	768	39.0	19.6	46.4
2018	705	36.0	19.5	49.2
2019	683	33.3	20.4	51.1
2020	663	34.5	19.2	48.4
2021	512	27.1	18.8	50.2
2022	651	35.0	18.6	56.7
2023	577	34.0	16.9	55.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Murdock Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	722	33.0	21.8	25.8
1991	774	35.0	22.1	26.9
1992	841	39.0	21.5	22.1
1993	851	40.0	21.3	4.5
1994	885	42.0	21.1	26.2
1995	983	44.0	22.3	31.9
1996	983	44.0	22.3	31.9
1997	988	42.0	23.5	31.4
1998	945	43.0	22.0	32.6
1999	929	40.0	23.2	48.3
2000	899	38.0	23.7	44.2
2001	966	45.0	21.5	40.8
2002	1035	47.0	22.0	47.1
2003	1035	47.0	22.0	47.1
2004	1090	49.0	22.2	37.6
2005	1041	54.0	19.3	30.6
2006	951	48.0	19.8	46.6
2007	902	49.0	18.4	48.5
2008	949	53.0	17.9	53.3
2009	927	63.1	17.5	58.6
2010	916	50.5	18.1	69.5
2011	823	45.4	18.1	65.7
2012	805	39.6	20.3	70.4
2013	789	40.0	19.7	69.3
2014	825	40.0	20.6	71.3
2015	811	43.0	18.8	71.4
2016	770	41.0	18.7	68.4
2017	768	39.0	19.6	46.4
2018	705	36.0	19.5	49.2
2019	683	33.3	20.4	51.1
2020	663	34.5	19.2	48.4
2021	512	27.1	18.8	50.2
2022	651	35.0	18.6	56.7
2023	577	34.0	16.9	55.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Murdock Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$466 (6.3%)	$6,973 (93.7%)	$7,439
2019	$578 (7.8%)	$6,879 (92.2%)	$7,457
2020	$648 (7.4%)	$8,080 (92.6%)	$8,727
2021	$1,164 (10.8%)	$9,633 (89.2%)	$10,796
2022	$961 (9.6%)	$9,016 (90.4%)	$9,977
2023	$1,605 (12.8%)	$10,914 (87.2%)	$12,520

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Murdock Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 646^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 502^nd of 1177 Middle schools	16.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Murdock Middle School)	50	50
6th Grade English Language Arts (Charlotte)	49	54	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Murdock Middle School)	30	44	14%
6th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte)	51	52	1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Murdock Middle School)	37	38	1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Charlotte)	46	44	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Murdock Middle School)	52	50	2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte)	62	54	8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Murdock Middle School)	56	43	13%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Charlotte)	56	46	10%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Murdock Middle School)	35	32	3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Charlotte)	47	41	6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Murdock Middle School)	55	42	13%
8th Grade Science (Charlotte)	55	45	10%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Murdock Middle School)	68	68
End of Course Civics (Charlotte)	78	70	8%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Murdock Middle School)	100	76	24%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Charlotte)	64	43	21%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	683	577	15.5%
African American	79	58	26.6%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	8	13	62.5%
Hispanic	122	136	11.5%
Pacific Islander	4	1	75%
White	425	330	22.4%
Two or More Races	43	39	9.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.1%	55.8%	4.7%

Schools Near Murdock Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Murdock Middle School	Public	6-8	17325 Mariner Way	Port Charlotte	33948	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7525	577	34	16.9	55.8%	330 (57.2%)	58 (10.1%)	136 (23.6%)	13 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (6.8%)	46.7	632^nd of 1196 public middle schools	47.2%		54.4	502^nd of 1177 public middle schools	57.3%	130	41.0	45.0	54.0	48.0	59.0	39.0	48.0	80.0		65.0	$12,520	$1,605	$10,914
Port Charlotte Middle School	Public	6-8	23000 Midway Blvd	Port Charlotte	33952	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7460	877	46	19.0	55.2%	459 (52.3%)	107 (12.2%)	210 (23.9%)	30 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	67 (7.6%)	53.5	537^th of 1196 public middle schools	55.1%		60.3	431^st of 1177 public middle schools	63.4%	106	49.0	57.0	48.0	55.0	63.0	30.0	48.0	83.0		81.0	$10,137	$1,262	$8,875
Heron Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	6501 W Price Blvd	North Port	34291	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 480-3371	902	59	15.2	71.5%	554 (61.4%)	76 (8.4%)	172 (19.1%)	16 (1.8%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	78 (8.6%)	57.1	488^th of 1196 public middle schools	59.2%		54.7	500^th of 1177 public middle schools	57.5%	12	58.0	47.0	55.0	51.0	73.0	35.0	49.0	66.0	100.0	81.0	$12,933	$980	$11,954
Woodland Middle School	Public	6-8	2700 Panacea Blvd	North Port	34289	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 240-8590	978	59	16.5	55.4%	622 (63.6%)	89 (9.1%)	178 (18.2%)	26 (2.7%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	59 (6.0%)	56	503^rd of 1196 public middle schools	57.9%		58.3	453^rd of 1177 public middle schools	61.5%	50	53.0	54.0	55.0	53.0	67.0	30.0	51.0	92.0	100.0	85.0	$11,228	$821	$10,407
Punta Gorda Middle School	Public	6-8	1001 Education Ave	Punta Gorda	33950	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	No	(941) 575-5485	1,120	58	19.3	41.3%	788 (70.4%)	93 (8.3%)	158 (14.1%)	13 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	64 (5.7%)	50.7	577^th of 1196 public middle schools	51.8%		48.6	585^th of 1177 public middle schools	50.3%	8	54.0	48.0	55.0	54.0	57.0	26.0	46.0	76.0		71.0	$10,211	$1,203	$9,008
L. A. Ainger Middle School	Public	6-8	245 Cougar Way	Rotonda West	33947	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	No	(941) 625-9600	720	39	18.4	40.0%	584 (81.1%)	16 (2.2%)	85 (11.8%)	12 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.2%)	62.3	413^th of 1196 public middle schools	65.5%		64.7	383^rd of 1177 public middle schools	67.5%	30	52.0	53.0	64.0	49.0	69.0	53.0	55.0	89.0	100.0	78.0	$10,394	$810	$9,584
Sky Academy Englewood	Public, Charter	6-8	701 W Center Rd Venice	Venice	34285	Sarasota County	Sarasota	Yes	No	No	No	(941) 999-4775	325	23	14.1	5.8%	244 (75.1%)	10 (3.1%)	52 (16.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.5%)	69.3	336^th of 1196 public middle schools	71.9%		70.3	320^th of 1177 public middle schools	72.8%	16	66.0	57.0	63.0	69.0	69.0	47.0	50.0	70.0		83.0	$9,072	$71	$9,000
Venice Middle School	Public	6-8	1900 Center Rd	Venice	34292	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 486-2100	761	49	15.5	36.7%	590 (77.5%)	9 (1.2%)	98 (12.9%)	9 (1.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (7.0%)	69.3	337^th of 1196 public middle schools	71.8%		65.4	377^th of 1177 public middle schools	68.0%	40	62.0	55.0	56.0	62.0	77.0	65.0	57.0	96.0	100.0	84.0	$13,143	$719	$12,426
Sky Academy Venice	Public, Charter	6-8	701 Center Rd	Venice	34285	Sarasota County	Sarasota	Yes	No	No	No	(941) 244-2626	261	19	13.7	13.8%	196 (75.1%)	4 (1.5%)	38 (14.6%)	7 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.1%)	58.6	463^rd of 1196 public middle schools	61.3%		53.7	516^th of 1177 public middle schools	56.2%	53	56.0	41.0	55.0	65.0	74.0	46.0	51.0	59.0		83.0	$8,526	$476	$8,050
Student Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	200 Field Ave E	Venice	34285	Sarasota County	Sarasota	Yes	No	No	No	(941) 485-5551	308	19	16.1	30.2%	262 (85.1%)	5 (1.6%)	26 (8.4%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.9%)	87.8	112^th of 1196 public middle schools	90.6%		84.1	152^nd of 1177 public middle schools	87.1%	40	78.0	64.0	71.0	94.0	89.0	83.0	65.0	100.0		91.0	$9,919	$325	$9,594

Frequently Asked Questions about Murdock Middle School

Is Murdock Middle School a good school?

Murdock Middle School ranks 632^nd of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Murdock Middle School attend?

Students who attend Murdock Middle School usually go on to attend Port Charlotte High School

What district is Murdock Middle School in?

Charlotte

How many students attend Murdock Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 577 students attended Murdock Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Murdock Middle School?

Students at Murdock Middle School are 57% White, 24% Hispanic, 10% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.