Is Congress Community Middle School a good school?

Congress Community Middle School ranks in the bottom 8.9% of Florida middle schools.

How many students attend Congress Community Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 988 students attended Congress Community Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Congress Community Middle School?

Students at Congress Community Middle School are 66% African American, 22% Hispanic, 6% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What high school do graduates of Congress Community Middle School attend?

Students who attend Congress Community Middle School usually go on to attend Boynton Beach Community High

Congress Community Middle School

Summary:

Congress Community Middle School is a public middle school in Boynton Beach, Florida, serving 988 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Palm Beach School District, which is ranked 41 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite higher per-student spending compared to nearby schools, Congress Community Middle School consistently underperforms the district and state averages on standardized tests. In 2023-2024, only 23% of 6th graders, 17% of 7th graders, and 29% of 8th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the Palm Beach district averages of 56%, 50%, and 53%, respectively. The school also has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (66.09%) compared to surrounding schools, which range from 15.78% to 49.63% African American. Additionally, Congress Community Middle School has experienced a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 6.8% in 2018-2019 to 20.3% in 2022-2023, and serves a student population with a very high rate of economic disadvantage, with 71.96% to 90.46% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch over the past three years.

Despite the higher spending per student at Congress Community Middle School, the school's academic outcomes lag behind the surrounding schools, such as Palm Springs Middle School, Lake Worth Community Middle, and Woodlands Middle School, which have higher rankings in the statewide SchoolDigger rankings. This suggests that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving student performance, and that addressing the unique challenges faced by the school's student population, such as high chronic absenteeism and economic disadvantage, will require a comprehensive approach.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

101 S Congress Ave
Boynton Beach, FL 33426

(561) 374-5600

District: Palm Beach

SchoolDigger Rank:
1089^th of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,559

Students who attend Congress Community Middle School usually attend:

High:

Boynton Beach Community High

Feeder schools for Congress Community Middle School:

Elementary:	Citrus Cove Elementary School
	Forest Park Elementary School
	Galaxy Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 988

Racial breakdown:

African American:

66.1%

Hispanic:

22.4%

White:

6.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Congress Community Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Congress Community Middle School ranks worse than 91.1% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks last among 36 ranked middle schools in the Palm Beach School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.96. (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 Racial makeup is: African American (66.1%), Hispanic (22.4%), White (6.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Congress Community Middle School is 15.4, which is the 7^th best among 36 middle schools in the Palm Beach School District. (See more...)

Compare Congress Community Middle School employs 64 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Congress Community Middle School is $14,559, which is the 6^th highest among 36 middle schools in the Palm Beach School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Congress Community Middle School 1089^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Congress Community Middle School in the ranking list.)

Palm Beach:

SchoolDigger ranks Palm Beach 41^st of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Congress Community Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	31.63	436^th	593	26.5%
2005	33.31	436^th	602	27.6%
2006	33.89	469^th	675	30.5%
2007	32.99	523^rd	736	28.9%
2008	30.36	547^th	740	26.1%
2009	35.03	548^th	780	29.7%
2010	45.65	506^th	839	39.7%
2011	41.73	565^th	891	36.6%
2012	36.35	589^th	897	34.3%
2013	34.67	642^nd	956	32.8%
2014	33.26	672^nd	999	32.7%
2016	23.30	779^th	997	21.9%
2017	25.94	774^th	1031	24.9%
2018	18.72	873^rd	1035	15.7%
2019	17.26	943^rd	1099	14.2%
2021	13.95	1020^th	1136	10.2%
2022	15.34	1019^th	1148	11.2%
2023	14.35	1046^th	1177	11.1%
2024	11.96	1089^th	1196	8.9%

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: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, January 24, 2011

Congress has so much to offer, outside the usual reading, math, science. Don't knock this school until you check it out for yourself and child. We are very happy here! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Congress Community Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	624	268	7	95	2	n/a	n/a	0	996
1989	664	255	7	107	3	n/a	n/a	0	1036
1990	634	265	7	121	4	n/a	n/a	0	1031
1991	637	299	13	129	4	n/a	n/a	0	1082
1992	752	353	12	163	4	n/a	n/a	0	1284
1993	768	386	7	157	5	n/a	n/a	0	1323
1994	765	475	8	195	4	n/a	n/a	0	1447
1995	578	508	12	185	4	n/a	n/a	0	1287
1996	578	508	12	185	4	n/a	n/a	0	1287
1997	608	559	19	227	5	n/a	n/a	0	1418
1998	576	606	30	219	2	n/a	n/a	0	1433
1999	541	667	28	228	5	n/a	n/a	0	1469
2000	388	606	24	223	8	n/a	n/a	0	1249
2001	418	683	22	282	6	n/a	n/a	0	1411
2002	365	596	36	280	5	n/a	n/a	0	1282
2003	365	596	36	280	5	n/a	n/a	0	1282
2004	321	678	28	281	5	n/a	n/a	0	1313
2005	247	601	23	265	6	n/a	n/a	0	1142
2006	160	553	15	222	6	n/a	n/a	0	956
2007	156	518	19	233	4	n/a	n/a	37	967
2008	149	524	15	216	2	n/a	n/a	36	942
2009	150	535	15	218	2	n/a	n/a	51	971
2010	114	519	13	240	8	n/a	n/a	29	923
2011	127	587	17	244	11	5	24	0	1015
2012	118	596	22	252	7	0	24	0	1019
2013	124	585	17	242	4	3	20	0	995
2014	110	587	17	223	5	1	23	0	966
2015	90	581	20	227	6	2	28	0	954
2016	85	581	27	209	6	3	20	0	931
2017	73	561	24	183	7	1	16	0	865
2018	75	577	21	198	4	2	18	0	895
2019	101	856	17	262	2	2	24	0	1264
2020	94	872	10	277	2	3	32	0	1290
2021	67	782	11	248	4	1	29	0	1142
2022	65	736	10	246	8	0	29	0	1094
2023	62	653	11	221	10	2	29	0	988

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 Congress Community Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	996	61.0	16.3	30.5
1989	1036	61.0	16.9	28.5
1990	1031	60.0	17.1	28.7
1991	1082	59.0	18.3	35.1
1992	1284	69.0	18.6	n/a
1993	1323	68.0	19.5	34.4
1994	1447	67.0	21.6	36.6
1995	1287	63.0	20.4	36.4
1996	1287	63.0	20.4	36.4
1997	1418	67.0	21.2	37.4
1998	1433	74.0	19.4	45.6
1999	1469	80.0	18.4	52
2000	1249	81.0	15.4	58.8
2001	1411	74.0	19.1	50.8
2002	1282	73.0	17.6	56.2
2003	1282	73.0	17.6	56.2
2004	1313	70.0	18.8	62.8
2005	1142	77.0	14.8	49.6
2006	956	67.0	14.3	62.8
2007	967	58.0	16.7	64.3
2008	942	60.5	15.6	55.7
2009	971	69.2	16.3	62.1
2010	923	54.5	16.9	67.6
2011	1015	61.0	16.6	70.8
2012	1019	59.0	17.2	73.6
2013	995	59.0	16.8	71
2014	966	67.0	14.4	81.4
2015	954	63.0	15.1	83.6
2016	931	68.0	13.6	85.1
2017	865	61.0	14.1	85.8
2018	895	64.0	13.9	82.8
2019	1264	71.5	17.6	81.8
2020	1290	71.0	18.1	81.2
2021	1142	81.0	14.0	90.5
2022	1094	78.0	14.0	89.6
2023	988	64.0	15.4	72

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 Congress Community Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	996	61.0	16.3	30.5
1989	1036	61.0	16.9	28.5
1990	1031	60.0	17.1	28.7
1991	1082	59.0	18.3	35.1
1992	1284	69.0	18.6	n/a
1993	1323	68.0	19.5	34.4
1994	1447	67.0	21.6	36.6
1995	1287	63.0	20.4	36.4
1996	1287	63.0	20.4	36.4
1997	1418	67.0	21.2	37.4
1998	1433	74.0	19.4	45.6
1999	1469	80.0	18.4	52
2000	1249	81.0	15.4	58.8
2001	1411	74.0	19.1	50.8
2002	1282	73.0	17.6	56.2
2003	1282	73.0	17.6	56.2
2004	1313	70.0	18.8	62.8
2005	1142	77.0	14.8	49.6
2006	956	67.0	14.3	62.8
2007	967	58.0	16.7	64.3
2008	942	60.5	15.6	55.7
2009	971	69.2	16.3	62.1
2010	923	54.5	16.9	67.6
2011	1015	61.0	16.6	70.8
2012	1019	59.0	17.2	73.6
2013	995	59.0	16.8	71
2014	966	67.0	14.4	81.4
2015	954	63.0	15.1	83.6
2016	931	68.0	13.6	85.1
2017	865	61.0	14.1	85.8
2018	895	64.0	13.9	82.8
2019	1264	71.5	17.6	81.8
2020	1290	71.0	18.1	81.2
2021	1142	81.0	14.0	90.5
2022	1094	78.0	14.0	89.6
2023	988	64.0	15.4	72

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 Congress Community Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$933 (9.7%)	$8,708 (90.3%)	$9,641
2019	$741 (9.2%)	$7,337 (90.8%)	$8,078
2020	$785 (8.5%)	$8,429 (91.5%)	$9,214
2021	$1,042 (9.2%)	$10,296 (90.8%)	$11,338
2022	$2,022 (15.4%)	$11,126 (84.6%)	$13,148
2023	$2,351 (16.1%)	$12,209 (83.9%)	$14,559

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Congress Community 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 943^rd of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 1046^th of 1177 Middle schools	3.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Congress Community Middle School)	35	28	7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Palm Beach)	58	54	4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Congress Community Middle School)	31	22	9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Palm Beach)	60	50	10%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Congress Community Middle School)	27	31	4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Palm Beach)	53	51	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Congress Community Middle School)	10	8	2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Palm Beach)	35	27	8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Congress Community Middle School)	35	26	9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Palm Beach)	58	51	7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Congress Community Middle School)	28	24	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Palm Beach)	64	57	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Congress Community Middle School)	30	23	7%
8th Grade Science (Palm Beach)	51	46	5%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Congress Community Middle School)	45	53	8%
End of Course Civics (Palm Beach)	72	65	7%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Congress Community Middle School)	74	82	8%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Palm Beach)	65	54	11%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Congress Community Middle School)	100	60	40%
End of Course Geometry (Palm Beach)	61	53	8%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1264	988	21.8%
African American	856	653	23.7%
American Indian	2	10	400%
Asian	17	11	35.3%
Hispanic	262	221	15.6%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	101	62	38.6%
Two or More Races	24	29	20.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	81.8%	72%	9.8%

Schools Near Congress Community 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
Congress Community Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	101 S Congress Ave	Boynton Beach	33426	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 374-5600	988	64	15.4	72.0%	62 (6.3%)	653 (66.1%)	221 (22.4%)	11 (1.1%)	10 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	29 (2.9%)	12	1089^th of 1196 public middle schools	8.9%		14.4	1046^th of 1177 public middle schools	11.1%	43	23.0	17.0	29.0	19.0	13.0	36.0	21.0	89.0			33.0	$14,559	$2,351	$12,209
South Technical Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	1325 Gateway Blvd	Boynton Beach	33426	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	Yes	No	No	No	(561) 369-7000	540	27	20.0	76.9%	25 (4.6%)	268 (49.6%)	228 (42.2%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.2%)	53	548^th of 1196 public middle schools	54.2%		35.4	769^th of 1177 public middle schools	34.7%	221	59.0	57.0	67.0	46.0	48.0	51.0	27.0	70.0		93.0	79.0	$9,642	$2,325	$7,316
Christa McAuliffe Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	6500 Le Chalet Blvd	Boynton Beach	33472	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 374-6600	1,387	75	18.4	35.0%	617 (44.5%)	255 (18.4%)	360 (26.0%)	80 (5.8%)	7 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	67 (4.8%)	79.2	212^th of 1196 public middle schools	82.3%		70.1	323^rd of 1177 public middle schools	72.6%	111	69.0	68.0	69.0	69.0	51.0	73.0	68.0	98.0	100.0		77.0	$11,473	$1,100	$10,372
Carver Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	101 Barwick Rd	Delray Beach	33445	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 638-2100	732	53	13.8	72.7%	53 (7.2%)	544 (74.3%)	111 (15.2%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	9 (1.2%)	15	1051^st of 1196 public middle schools	12.1%		22.5	948^th of 1177 public middle schools	19.5%	103	31.0	18.0	34.0	8.0	7.0	31.0	30.0	88.0	100.0		38.0	$15,340	$2,883	$12,457
Lantana Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1225 W Drew St	Lantana	33462	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 540-3400	801	53	15.2	78.4%	61 (7.6%)	325 (40.6%)	376 (46.9%)	10 (1.2%)	15 (1.9%)	2 (0.2%)	12 (1.5%)	17.2	1035^th of 1196 public middle schools	13.5%		24.5	916^th of 1177 public middle schools	22.2%	119	34.0	28.0	32.0	40.0	20.0	33.0	19.0	69.0	94.0		59.0	$15,378	$2,429	$12,948
West Boynton Middle School	Public	6-8	8655 Senator Joe Abruzzo Ave	Boynton Beach	33472	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(561) 434-8000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)	78.0	82.0	76.0	82.0	53.0	91.0	70.0	96.0	97.0		88.0
Tradewinds Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	5090 Haverhill Rd S	Greenacres	33463	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 493-6400	912	51	18.0	73.8%	80 (8.8%)	321 (35.2%)	447 (49.0%)	19 (2.1%)	18 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (2.9%)	20.9	988^th of 1196 public middle schools	17.4%		17.3	1011^th of 1177 public middle schools	14.1%	23	36.0	21.0	39.0	20.0	15.0	45.0	31.0	54.0	70.0		44.0	$12,573	$2,005	$10,566
Somerset Academy Canyons Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	9385 Boynton Beach Blvd	Boynton Beach	33472	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	Yes	No	No	Yes	(561) 732-8252	691	19	36.3	42.4%	250 (36.2%)	204 (29.5%)	185 (26.8%)	16 (2.3%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (4.5%)	59	457^th of 1196 public middle schools	61.8%		58.4	452^nd of 1177 public middle schools	61.6%	5	62.0	61.0	60.0	41.0	63.0	63.0	21.0	92.0	100.0	98.0	75.0	$9,255	$587	$8,668
L C Swain Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	5332 Lake Worth Rd	Greenacres	33463	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 649-6900	1,451	83	17.4	74.1%	104 (7.2%)	229 (15.8%)	1,072 (73.9%)	20 (1.4%)	15 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (0.8%)	21	985^th of 1196 public middle schools	17.6%		20.2	977^th of 1177 public middle schools	17.0%	8	34.0	26.0	32.0	31.0	27.0	47.0	24.0	94.0	100.0		32.0	$11,685	$1,828	$9,857
Lake Worth Community Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1300 Barnett Dr	Lake Worth	33461	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 540-5500	1,249	57	21.9	75.0%	56 (4.5%)	266 (21.3%)	840 (67.3%)	11 (0.9%)	62 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.1%)	13.9	1065^th of 1196 public middle schools	11.0%		10.7	1077^th of 1177 public middle schools	8.5%	12	26.0	23.0	24.0	28.0	15.0	40.0	17.0	85.0	97.0		40.0	$11,155	$1,750	$9,405

Congress Community Middle School

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Rank History for Congress Community Middle School

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Enrollment information for Congress Community Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Congress Community Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Congress Community Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Congress Community Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Congress Community Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Congress Community Middle School