Is Fort King Middle School a good school?

Fort King Middle School ranks in the bottom 23.4% of Florida middle schools.

How many students attend Fort King Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,092 students attended Fort King Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Fort King Middle School?

Students at Fort King Middle School are 44% White, 24% African American, 24% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Fort King Middle School attend?

Students who attend Fort King Middle School usually go on to attend Vanguard High School

Fort King Middle School

Summary:

Fort King Middle School is a public middle school located in Ocala, Florida, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,092 students. The school is part of the Marion School District, which is ranked 61 out of 68 districts in Florida and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Fort King Middle School faces several challenges compared to other schools in the area. The school has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate of 41.5%, much higher than the Marion district average of 43% and the Florida state average. Additionally, the school's test scores are consistently lower than the district and state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in FAST English Language Arts and Math for grades 6-8 were significantly below the district and state averages. Furthermore, Fort King Middle School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, with 70.6% of students qualifying in the 2022-2023 school year, which is higher than the district and state averages.

When comparing Fort King Middle School to nearby schools, such as Osceola Middle School, which is only 1.33 miles away, it becomes evident that Fort King Middle School is underperforming in several key areas. Osceola Middle School consistently outperforms Fort King Middle School across various metrics, including test scores and overall school ranking. Additionally, Fort King Middle School's statewide ranking has been steadily declining over the past several years, from 708 out of 1,099 Florida middle schools in 2018-2019 to 916 out of 1,196 in 2023-2024, suggesting that the school's performance is not keeping pace with other middle schools in the state.

Detail:

Public 6-8

545 NE 17th Ave
Ocala, FL 34470

(352) 671-4725

District: Marion

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,350

Students who attend Fort King Middle School usually attend:

High:

Vanguard High School

Feeder schools for Fort King Middle School:

Elementary:	Ocala Springs Elementary School
	Ward-Highlands Elementary School
	Wyomina Park Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.8

Number of students: 1,092

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.8%

African American:

24.5%

Hispanic:

24.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.6%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Fort King Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Fort King Middle School ranks worse than 76.6% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 9^th among 10 ranked middle schools in the Marion School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26. (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 Student population at Fort King Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (43.8%), African American (24.5%), Hispanic (24.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fort King Middle School is 19.8, which is the 4^th best among 10 middle schools in the Marion School District. (See more...)

Compare Fort King Middle School employs 55 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fort King Middle School is $8,350. 7 middle schools in the Marion School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Fort King Middle School 916^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Fort King Middle School in the ranking list.)

Marion:

SchoolDigger ranks Marion 61^st of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Fort King Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	62.84	229^th	593	61.4%
2005	56.79	281^st	602	53.3%
2006	59.81	274^th	675	59.4%
2007	57.15	331^st	736	55.0%
2008	56.50	350^th	740	52.7%
2009	53.70	387^th	780	50.4%
2010	57.23	386^th	839	54.0%
2011	51.25	470^th	891	47.3%
2012	46.68	499^th	897	44.4%
2013	42.38	571^st	956	40.3%
2014	40.91	598^th	999	40.1%
2016	32.98	674^th	997	32.4%
2017	39.48	627^th	1031	39.2%
2018	40.75	619^th	1035	40.2%
2019	37.69	708^th	1099	35.6%
2021	27.40	835^th	1136	26.5%
2022	30.69	809^th	1148	29.5%
2023	27.09	881^st	1177	25.1%
2024	26.00	916^th	1196	23.4%

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 parent
Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Not guiding kids any wheres but into trouble. Every teacher has attitudes and no respect for parents. They lie to you the reality is schools understaffed 2 counselors for 1100 kids is a joke thr kids that end up on probation or with records needs to be exposed. There guiding no kids there counselors are horrible and have way to large case loads. You send your kid here there leaving with a criminal record. All there doing is preppin kids for prisons and jails. No guidance given. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Fort King Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	879	57	7	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	968
1989	702	60	8	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	788
1990	659	81	10	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	765
1991	690	72	7	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	788
1992	740	102	8	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	872
1993	755	95	9	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	879
1994	733	113	5	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	880
1995	662	123	13	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	816
1996	662	123	13	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	816
1997	621	130	8	30	2	n/a	n/a	0	791
1998	612	126	7	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	782
1999	580	120	6	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	740
2000	594	110	9	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	742
2001	639	127	8	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	811
2002	586	128	6	52	2	n/a	n/a	0	774
2003	586	128	6	52	2	n/a	n/a	0	774
2004	663	176	5	95	2	n/a	n/a	0	941
2005	673	166	8	119	1	n/a	n/a	0	967
2006	690	147	10	123	3	n/a	n/a	0	973
2007	677	144	8	125	3	n/a	n/a	24	981
2008	693	159	7	118	3	n/a	n/a	31	1011
2009	777	204	10	165	7	n/a	n/a	49	1212
2010	793	211	16	151	5	n/a	n/a	59	1235
2011	713	233	17	173	8	2	66	0	1212
2012	681	231	15	174	9	1	64	0	1175
2013	652	193	15	188	11	0	69	0	1128
2014	600	211	11	205	13	0	65	0	1105
2015	576	211	11	194	13	0	56	0	1061
2016	574	192	10	207	10	1	61	0	1055
2017	568	210	13	221	7	2	61	0	1082
2018	564	230	16	237	3	3	56	0	1109
2019	540	229	13	222	1	4	67	0	1076
2020	525	235	12	240	1	4	56	0	1073
2021	493	263	11	248	2	3	65	0	1085
2022	517	274	17	268	4	4	61	0	1145
2023	478	267	16	264	4	5	58	0	1092

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 Fort King Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	968	52.0	18.6	24.4
1989	788	47.0	16.7	26.6
1990	765	50.0	15.3	28.9
1991	788	49.0	16.0	31.2
1992	872	51.0	17.0	26.1
1993	879	50.0	17.6	19.3
1994	880	51.0	17.3	25
1995	816	51.0	16.0	29.3
1996	816	51.0	16.0	29.3
1997	791	51.0	15.5	33.5
1998	782	51.0	15.3	32.5
1999	740	46.0	16.1	36.9
2000	742	48.0	15.5	34
2001	811	49.0	16.6	44.8
2002	774	42.0	18.4	50.4
2003	774	42.0	18.4	50.4
2004	941	48.0	19.6	53.1
2005	967	52.0	18.6	52.2
2006	973	53.0	18.4	49.7
2007	981	56.0	17.5	46.8
2008	1011	57.0	17.7	54.1
2009	1212	70.9	18.9	55.1
2010	1235	67.0	18.4	65.4
2011	1212	66.0	18.3	59.8
2012	1175	64.0	18.3	67.1
2013	1128	64.0	17.6	68.9
2014	1105	59.0	18.7	69.4
2015	1061	62.0	17.1	73.6
2016	1055	62.0	17.0	74.6
2017	1082	67.0	16.1	74.7
2018	1109	65.0	17.0	73.8
2019	1076	59.0	18.2	73
2020	1073	57.0	18.8	72.3
2021	1085	59.0	18.3	69.6
2022	1145	57.0	20.0	68.7
2023	1092	55.0	19.8	70.6

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 Fort King Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	968	52.0	18.6	24.4
1989	788	47.0	16.7	26.6
1990	765	50.0	15.3	28.9
1991	788	49.0	16.0	31.2
1992	872	51.0	17.0	26.1
1993	879	50.0	17.6	19.3
1994	880	51.0	17.3	25
1995	816	51.0	16.0	29.3
1996	816	51.0	16.0	29.3
1997	791	51.0	15.5	33.5
1998	782	51.0	15.3	32.5
1999	740	46.0	16.1	36.9
2000	742	48.0	15.5	34
2001	811	49.0	16.6	44.8
2002	774	42.0	18.4	50.4
2003	774	42.0	18.4	50.4
2004	941	48.0	19.6	53.1
2005	967	52.0	18.6	52.2
2006	973	53.0	18.4	49.7
2007	981	56.0	17.5	46.8
2008	1011	57.0	17.7	54.1
2009	1212	70.9	18.9	55.1
2010	1235	67.0	18.4	65.4
2011	1212	66.0	18.3	59.8
2012	1175	64.0	18.3	67.1
2013	1128	64.0	17.6	68.9
2014	1105	59.0	18.7	69.4
2015	1061	62.0	17.1	73.6
2016	1055	62.0	17.0	74.6
2017	1082	67.0	16.1	74.7
2018	1109	65.0	17.0	73.8
2019	1076	59.0	18.2	73
2020	1073	57.0	18.8	72.3
2021	1085	59.0	18.3	69.6
2022	1145	57.0	20.0	68.7
2023	1092	55.0	19.8	70.6

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 Fort King Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$581 (8.4%)	$6,320 (91.6%)	$6,901
2019	$703 (9.7%)	$6,533 (90.3%)	$7,236
2020	$624 (8.5%)	$6,682 (91.5%)	$7,305
2021	$780 (10.6%)	$6,548 (89.4%)	$7,328
2022	$1,349 (17.9%)	$6,174 (82.1%)	$7,523
2023	$1,408 (16.9%)	$6,943 (83.1%)	$8,350

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fort King 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 708^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 881^st of 1177 Middle schools	10.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Fort King Middle School)	33	37	4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	45	42	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Fort King Middle School)	43	33	10%
6th Grade Mathematics (Marion)	46	40	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Fort King Middle School)	40	35	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	46	39	7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Fort King Middle School)	51	41	10%
7th Grade Mathematics (Marion)	49	40	9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Fort King Middle School)	48	34	14%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	50	38	12%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Fort King Middle School)	55	34	21%
8th Grade Mathematics (Marion)	41	26	15%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Fort King Middle School)	43	35	8%
8th Grade Science (Marion)	44	37	7%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Fort King Middle School)	62	40	22%
End of Course Civics (Marion)	65	58	7%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Fort King Middle School)	92	85	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Marion)	55	44	11%
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	1076	1092	1.5%
African American	229	267	16.6%
American Indian	1	4	300%
Asian	13	16	23.1%
Hispanic	222	264	18.9%
Pacific Islander	4	5	25%
White	540	478	11.5%
Two or More Races	67	58	13.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73%	70.6%	2.4%

Schools Near Fort King 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
Fort King Middle School	Public	6-8	545 NE 17th Ave	Ocala	34470	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-4725	1,092	55	19.8	70.6%	478 (43.8%)	267 (24.5%)	264 (24.2%)	16 (1.5%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.5%)	58 (5.3%)	26	916^th of 1196 public middle schools	23.4%		27.1	881^st of 1177 public middle schools	25.1%	35	41.0	32.0	33.0	40.0	22.0	47.0	32.0	64.0		48.0	$8,350	$1,408	$6,943
Osceola Middle School	Public	6-8	526 SE Tuscawilla Ave	Ocala	34471	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	No	(352) 671-7100	999	45	22.2	44.2%	576 (57.7%)	147 (14.7%)	198 (19.8%)	22 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	53 (5.3%)	58.6	462^nd of 1196 public middle schools	61.4%		61.4	419^th of 1177 public middle schools	64.4%	43	61.0	48.0	51.0	58.0	67.0	52.0	50.0	88.0	100.0	70.0	$8,956	$1,268	$7,688
Howard Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1655 NW 10th St	Ocala	34475	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-7225	980	47	20.8	60.1%	287 (29.3%)	366 (37.3%)	211 (21.5%)	60 (6.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (5.5%)	43.3	684^th of 1196 public middle schools	42.8%		42.3	670^th of 1177 public middle schools	43.1%	14	52.0	47.0	46.0	49.0	19.0	52.0	43.0	88.0	92.0	57.0	$9,349	$1,273	$8,076
Ocali Charter Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3233 SE Maricamp Rd	Ocala	34478	Marion County	Marion	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 264-9940	201	13	15.4	60.7%	89 (44.3%)	40 (19.9%)	53 (26.4%)	4 (2.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (6.5%)	46.4	638^th of 1196 public middle schools	46.7%		26.1	893^rd of 1177 public middle schools	24.1%	255	62.0	42.0	52.0	63.0	36.0	39.0	36.0	40.0	91.0	47.0	$7,605	$868	$6,737
Belleview Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	10500 SE 36th Ave	Belleview	34420	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-6235	1,573	71	22.1	59.7%	843 (53.6%)	191 (12.1%)	446 (28.4%)	5 (0.3%)	7 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	77 (4.9%)	47.7	621^st of 1196 public middle schools	48.1%		41.7	680^th of 1177 public middle schools	42.2%	59	58.0	43.0	52.0	64.0	29.0	44.0	46.0	84.0	100.0	65.0	$7,730	$1,302	$6,428
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	4773 SW 95th St	Ocala	34476	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 291-7930	1,365	67	20.3	54.4%	488 (35.8%)	246 (18.0%)	509 (37.3%)	52 (3.8%)	5 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	61 (4.5%)	41.2	705^th of 1196 public middle schools	41.1%		37.5	734^th of 1177 public middle schools	37.6%	29	53.0	40.0	43.0	48.0	29.0	54.0	45.0	74.0	93.0	67.0	$8,373	$1,274	$7,099
North Marion Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2085 W Highway 329	Citra	32113	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-6035	803	41	19.5	72.5%	332 (41.3%)	241 (30.0%)	187 (23.3%)	6 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (4.4%)	28.4	883^rd of 1196 public middle schools	26.2%		19.5	987^th of 1177 public middle schools	16.1%	104	47.0	40.0	36.0	41.0	27.0	39.0	30.0	83.0	100.0	47.0	$9,286	$1,754	$7,531
Horizon Academy At Marion Oaks	Public, Magnet	6-8	365 Marion Oaks Dr	Ocala	34473	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-6290	1,067	49	21.7	68.5%	226 (21.2%)	244 (22.9%)	540 (50.6%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (4.6%)	28.4	886^th of 1196 public middle schools	25.9%		31.1	828^th of 1177 public middle schools	29.7%	58	33.0	37.0	41.0	40.0	36.0	46.0	30.0	87.0	96.0	44.0	$8,984	$1,930	$7,054
Lake Weir Middle School	Public	6-8	10220 SE Sunset Harbor Rd	Summerfield	34491	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-6120	1,207	53	22.7	76.1%	520 (43.1%)	247 (20.5%)	334 (27.7%)	9 (0.7%)	9 (0.7%)	5 (0.4%)	83 (6.9%)	22.7	960^th of 1196 public middle schools	19.7%		21.9	952^nd of 1177 public middle schools	19.1%	8	35.0	27.0	39.0	32.0	28.0	44.0	28.0	82.0	100.0	38.0	$8,665	$2,007	$6,658

Fort King Middle School

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Rank History for Fort King Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Fort King Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fort King Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Fort King Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Fort King Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Fort King Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Fort King Middle School