Is R. Frank Nims Middle School a good school?

R. Frank Nims Middle School ranks in the bottom 18.9% of Florida middle schools.

How many students attend R. Frank Nims Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 564 students attended R. Frank Nims Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of R. Frank Nims Middle School?

Students at R. Frank Nims Middle School are 81% African American, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% White, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of R. Frank Nims Middle School attend?

Students who attend R. Frank Nims Middle School usually go on to attend James Rickards High School

R. Frank Nims Middle School

Summary:

R. Frank Nims Middle School is a public middle school in Tallahassee, Florida, serving 609 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Leon District, which is ranked 48 out of 68 districts in the state.

While nearby schools like Deerlake Middle School and William J Montford III Middle School consistently perform well above state and district averages, R. Frank Nims Middle School struggles with significant challenges. The school has a much higher percentage of African American students (78%) compared to nearby schools, and it also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 43.1% to 66.9% over the past 5 years. Academically, R. Frank Nims Middle School underperforms the Leon District and Florida state averages across various standardized tests, with only 26-34% of students proficient in FAST/ELA in 2023-2024, compared to 50-55% in the district and 50-54% statewide.

The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at R. Frank Nims Middle School, ranging from 77.99% to 82.1% over the past 3 years, is significantly higher than the nearby schools, which range from 16.44% to 57.83%. This, coupled with the school's underperformance, suggests that socioeconomic factors may be playing a significant role in the academic achievement of students at this school. Additionally, the higher spending per student at R. Frank Nims Middle School ($9,763 in 2022-2023) compared to the nearby schools raises questions about the effective allocation of resources and whether the additional funding is being utilized to address the unique challenges faced by this school.

Detail:

Public 6-8

723 W Orange Ave
Tallahassee, FL 32310

(850) 488-5960

District: Leon

SchoolDigger Rank:
970^th of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,763

Students who attend R. Frank Nims Middle School usually attend:

High:

James Rickards High School

Feeder schools for R. Frank Nims Middle School:

Elementary:	Oak Ridge Elementary School
	Pineview Elementary School
	Sabal Palm Elementary School
	Woodville School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 564

Racial breakdown:

African American:

80.9%

Hispanic:

9.2%

Two or more races:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.5%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare R. Frank Nims Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details R. Frank Nims Middle School ranks worse than 81.1% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 7^th among 8 ranked middle schools in the Leon School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.01. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 Racial makeup is: African American (80.9%), Hispanic (9.2%), two or more races (5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Leon School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at R. Frank Nims Middle School is 15.2, which is the lowest among 8 middle schools in the Leon School District! (See more...)

Compare R. Frank Nims Middle School employs 37 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at R. Frank Nims Middle School is $9,763, which is the 2^nd highest among 8 middle schools in the Leon School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

R. Frank Nims Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks R. Frank Nims Middle School 970^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See R. Frank Nims Middle School in the ranking list.)

Leon:

SchoolDigger ranks Leon 48^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for R. Frank Nims Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	19.04	505^th	593	14.8%
2005	15.16	520^th	602	13.6%
2006	11.69	583^rd	675	13.6%
2007	12.45	638^th	736	13.3%
2008	20.70	599^th	740	19.1%
2009	12.47	676^th	780	13.3%
2010	6.77	763^rd	839	9.1%
2011	12.08	787^th	891	11.7%
2012	14.34	769^th	897	14.3%
2013	20.07	780^th	956	18.4%
2014	28.74	732^nd	999	26.7%
2016	17.94	849^th	997	14.8%
2017	11.80	937^th	1031	9.1%
2018	14.94	912^th	1035	11.9%
2019	14.98	963^rd	1099	12.4%
2021	9.60	1072^nd	1136	5.6%
2022	14.01	1031^st	1148	10.2%
2023	9.99	1086^th	1177	7.7%
2024	22.01	970^th	1196	18.9%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Monday, November 16, 2020

Former student, from many years ago. Going there was the worst three years of my life. Its sad to see it hasn't changed other than a barbed wire fence that completes the prison look and feel it had then. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, August 17, 2011

That school is very disrespectful to everyone that goes to that school will not be able to make it to the next grade because they just play around so much and the teachers uses very bad language as well the students I just think that it not possible to have this school still open just like you all shut down mulitpule or middle school I think you should shut down R. Frank Nims as well...... Close Quote

Enrollment information for R. Frank Nims Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	456	466	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	923
1989	448	481	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	932
1990	435	466	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	907
1991	360	425	1	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	796
1992	379	424	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	810
1993	372	491	3	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	872
1994	274	456	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	735
1995	252	491	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	753
1996	252	491	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	753
1997	232	455	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	697
1998	227	492	1	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	731
1999	174	524	1	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	712
2000	166	515	1	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	695
2001	125	527	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	662
2002	101	511	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	620
2003	101	511	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	620
2004	74	486	2	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	568
2005	62	430	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	496
2006	64	347	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	417
2007	47	323	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	6	380
2008	33	283	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	6	331
2009	19	300	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	6	334
2010	30	472	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	1	515
2011	24	415	0	7	0	0	7	0	453
2012	31	412	1	10	0	0	11	0	465
2013	29	406	1	13	1	1	9	0	460
2014	31	412	0	17	0	2	7	0	469
2015	25	393	0	20	0	1	8	0	447
2016	21	375	0	29	1	0	16	0	442
2017	23	377	1	35	1	1	19	0	457
2018	21	404	1	46	2	1	21	0	496
2019	24	416	1	43	1	1	17	0	503
2020	22	425	1	50	1	0	13	0	512
2021	31	389	1	63	1	0	21	0	506
2022	19	401	1	67	1	1	28	0	518
2023	33	475	2	67	1	1	30	0	609
2024	21	456	7	52	0	0	28	0	564

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 R. Frank Nims Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	923	46.0	20.0	53.3
1989	932	45.0	20.7	48.6
1990	907	52.0	17.4	43.3
1991	796	42.0	18.9	47.4
1992	810	43.0	18.8	37.2
1993	872	43.0	20.3	28.7
1994	735	39.0	18.8	49.5
1995	753	39.0	19.3	46.7
1996	753	39.0	19.3	46.7
1997	697	43.0	16.2	47.2
1998	731	43.0	17.0	49.9
1999	712	45.0	15.8	60.5
2000	695	45.0	15.4	66
2001	662	38.0	17.4	65.4
2002	620	32.0	19.4	71.8
2003	620	32.0	19.4	71.8
2004	568	33.0	17.2	80.3
2005	496	34.0	14.6	83.3
2006	417	32.0	13.0	81.8
2007	380	30.0	12.7	80.5
2008	331	26.0	12.7	74.8
2009	334	25.3	15.2	88.7
2010	515	30.0	17.1	87.4
2011	453	29.5	15.3	92.5
2012	465	27.5	16.9	89.5
2013	460	31.0	14.8	57
2014	469	30.0	15.6	71.2
2015	447	26.0	17.1	62.2
2016	442	27.0	16.3	83.9
2017	457	27.0	16.9	78.3
2018	496	29.0	17.1	81.5
2019	503	29.0	17.3	77.7
2020	512	27.1	18.8	79.7
2021	506	26.5	19.0	82
2022	518	32.7	15.8	78
2023	609	33.0	18.4	82.1
2024	564	37.0	15.2	77.5

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 R. Frank Nims Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	923	46.0	20.0	53.3
1989	932	45.0	20.7	48.6
1990	907	52.0	17.4	43.3
1991	796	42.0	18.9	47.4
1992	810	43.0	18.8	37.2
1993	872	43.0	20.3	28.7
1994	735	39.0	18.8	49.5
1995	753	39.0	19.3	46.7
1996	753	39.0	19.3	46.7
1997	697	43.0	16.2	47.2
1998	731	43.0	17.0	49.9
1999	712	45.0	15.8	60.5
2000	695	45.0	15.4	66
2001	662	38.0	17.4	65.4
2002	620	32.0	19.4	71.8
2003	620	32.0	19.4	71.8
2004	568	33.0	17.2	80.3
2005	496	34.0	14.6	83.3
2006	417	32.0	13.0	81.8
2007	380	30.0	12.7	80.5
2008	331	26.0	12.7	74.8
2009	334	25.3	15.2	88.7
2010	515	30.0	17.1	87.4
2011	453	29.5	15.3	92.5
2012	465	27.5	16.9	89.5
2013	460	31.0	14.8	57
2014	469	30.0	15.6	71.2
2015	447	26.0	17.1	62.2
2016	442	27.0	16.3	83.9
2017	457	27.0	16.9	78.3
2018	496	29.0	17.1	81.5
2019	503	29.0	17.3	77.7
2020	512	27.1	18.8	79.7
2021	506	26.5	19.0	82
2022	518	32.7	15.8	78
2023	609	33.0	18.4	82.1
2024	564	37.0	15.2	77.5

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 R. Frank Nims Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$847 (10.5%)	$7,255 (89.5%)	$8,102
2019	$1,024 (11.8%)	$7,684 (88.2%)	$8,709
2020	$993 (10.8%)	$8,175 (89.2%)	$9,167
2021	$1,481 (15.7%)	$7,934 (84.3%)	$9,415
2022	$2,192 (21.7%)	$7,904 (78.3%)	$10,097
2023	$2,174 (22.3%)	$7,590 (77.7%)	$9,763

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on R. Frank Nims 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 963^rd of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 1086^th of 1177 Middle schools	4.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	23	26	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Leon)	54	53	1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	11	23	12%
6th Grade Mathematics (Leon)	53	50	3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	26	20	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Leon)	56	48	8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	26	22	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Leon)	60	46	14%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	23	31	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Leon)	59	51	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	52	26	26%
8th Grade Mathematics (Leon)	45	34	11%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	16	12	4%
8th Grade Science (Leon)	44	37	7%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	45	3%
End of Course Biology 1 (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	100	26	74%
End of Course Biology 1 (Leon)	70	65	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course Civics (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	56	84	28%
End of Course Civics (Leon)	75	72	3%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (R. Frank Nims Middle School)	78	71	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Leon)	69	65	4%
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	503	609	21.1%
African American	416	475	14.2%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	1	2	100%
Hispanic	43	67	55.8%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	24	33	37.5%
Two or More Races	17	30	76.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77.7%	82.1%	4.4%

Schools Near R. Frank Nims 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 Biology 1 (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 Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
R. Frank Nims Middle School	Public	6-8	723 W Orange Ave	Tallahassee	32310	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 488-5960	564	37	15.2	77.5%	21 (3.7%)	456 (80.9%)	52 (9.2%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.0%)	22	970^th of 1196 public middle schools	18.9%		10	1086^th of 1177 public middle schools	7.7%	116	32.0	26.0	26.0	23.0	34.0	49.0	34.0	94.0	59.0	78.0	87.0	$9,763	$2,174	$7,590
Fairview Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	3415 Zillah St	Tallahassee	32305	Leon County	Leon	No	Yes	No	Yes	(850) 488-6880	731	43	16.8	56.9%	75 (10.3%)	485 (66.3%)	56 (7.7%)	77 (10.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.1%)	35	795^th of 1196 public middle schools	33.5%		31.5	823^rd of 1177 public middle schools	30.1%	28	49.0	40.0	45.0	47.0	49.0	38.0	17.0	100.0	98.0	99.0	62.0	$9,432	$1,895	$7,537
Griffin Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	800 Alabama St	Tallahassee	32304	Leon County	Leon	No	Yes	No	Yes	(850) 488-8436	486	31	15.6	74.1%	36 (7.4%)	371 (76.3%)	50 (10.3%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.1%)	10	1108^th of 1196 public middle schools	7.4%		13.2	1058^th of 1177 public middle schools	10.1%	50	21.0	21.0	24.0	29.0	13.0	30.0	8.0	59.0		73.0	58.0	$11,990	$2,682	$9,308
Elizabeth Cobb Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	915 Hillcrest Ave	Tallahassee	32308	Leon County	Leon	No	Yes	No	No	(850) 488-3364	680	40	17.1	42.1%	190 (27.9%)	346 (50.9%)	60 (8.8%)	29 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (7.9%)	37.9	751^st of 1196 public middle schools	37.2%		37.5	733^rd of 1177 public middle schools	37.7%	18	57.0	46.0	43.0	51.0	47.0	27.0	11.0	90.0	100.0	82.0	62.0	$9,086	$999	$8,087
Raa Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	401 W Tharpe St	Tallahassee	32303	Leon County	Leon	No	Yes	No	No	(850) 488-6287	871	41	21.3	50.1%	230 (26.4%)	497 (57.1%)	62 (7.1%)	12 (1.4%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	64 (7.3%)	38.2	744^th of 1196 public middle schools	37.8%		37.6	731^st of 1177 public middle schools	37.9%	13	44.0	49.0	48.0	40.0	53.0	38.0	27.0	99.0	100.0	100.0	72.0	$7,667	$758	$6,909
Swift Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	2100 Pedrick Rd	Tallahassee	32317	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 487-4868	781	40	19.3	33.9%	365 (46.7%)	242 (31.0%)	75 (9.6%)	38 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (7.8%)	66.4	371^st of 1196 public middle schools	69.0%		73	285^th of 1177 public middle schools	75.8%	86	72.0	61.0	60.0	59.0	59.0	69.0	32.0	93.0	100.0	97.0	82.0	$8,825	$922	$7,904
William J Montford III Middle School	Public	6-8	5789 Pimlico Dr	Tallahassee	32309	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 922-6011	934	47	20.0	23.4%	613 (65.6%)	139 (14.9%)	92 (9.9%)	21 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (7.4%)	82.1	170^th of 1196 public middle schools	85.8%		84.8	143^rd of 1177 public middle schools	87.9%	27	68.0	72.0	66.0	81.0	86.0	71.0	58.0	98.0	100.0	100.0	84.0	$8,287	$934	$7,354
Riversprings Middle School	Public	6-8	800 Spring Creek Hwy	Crawfordville	32327	Wakulla County	Wakulla	No	No	No	No	(850) 926-2300	529	28	18.8	40.5%	408 (77.1%)	61 (11.5%)	24 (4.5%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (5.5%)	59	455^th of 1196 public middle schools	62.0%		74.7	260^th of 1177 public middle schools	77.9%	195	53.0	63.0	64.0	47.0	69.0	14.0	49.0	71.0	100.0		68.0	$9,496	$1,200	$8,297
Deerlake Middle School	Public	6-8	9902 Deer Lk W	Tallahassee	32312	Leon County	Leon	No	No	No	No	(850) 922-6545	879	41	21.5	16.8%	585 (66.6%)	88 (10.0%)	88 (10.0%)	76 (8.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (4.4%)	85.2	141^st of 1196 public middle schools	88.2%		90.2	83^rd of 1177 public middle schools	92.9%	58	72.0	70.0	73.0	80.0	86.0	72.0	64.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	92.0	$9,040	$966	$8,074

R. Frank Nims Middle School

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Rank History for R. Frank Nims Middle School

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Enrollment information for R. Frank Nims Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at R. Frank Nims Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio R. Frank Nims Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for R. Frank Nims Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on R. Frank Nims Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near R. Frank Nims Middle School