Is Lake Worth Community Middle a good school?

Lake Worth Community Middle ranks in the bottom 11.0% of Florida middle schools.

How many students attend Lake Worth Community Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,161 students attended Lake Worth Community Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Lake Worth Community Middle?

Students at Lake Worth Community Middle are 66% Hispanic, 22% African American, 5% White, 5% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Lake Worth Community Middle attend?

Students who attend Lake Worth Community Middle usually go on to attend Lake Worth High School

Lake Worth Community Middle

Summary:

Lake Worth Community Middle is a public middle school in Lake Worth, Florida, serving 1,249 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.

Lake Worth Community Middle stands out for its high percentage of Hispanic students (67.25%), significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which range from 25.96% to 74.21% Hispanic. The school has also experienced a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 11.9% in 2018-2019 to 33.6% in 2022-2023, much higher than the 0.0% to 34.4% range of nearby schools. Academically, the school consistently underperforms compared to the Palm Beach District and the state of Florida in standardized tests, with only 26% of 6th-grade students proficient or better in FAST/English Language Arts, compared to 56% in the district and 54% statewide. Additionally, Lake Worth Community Middle has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 75.02% to 94.35%, significantly higher than the 34.97% to 84.53% range of surrounding schools.

Despite increased spending per student, from $8,685 in 2019-2020 to $11,155 in 2022-2023, Lake Worth Community Middle's performance has steadily declined, dropping from 708 out of 956 Florida middle schools in 2012-2013 to 1065 out of 1196 in 2023-2024. This trend is concerning, and the school's challenges with test scores and chronic absenteeism suggest the need for targeted interventions. Nearby schools, such as Christa McAuliffe Middle School and L.C. Swain Middle School, perform significantly better on these metrics, providing valuable insights for improving Lake Worth Community Middle.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

1300 Barnett Dr
Lake Worth, FL 33461

(561) 540-5500

District: Palm Beach

SchoolDigger Rank:
1065^th of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,155

Students who attend Lake Worth Community Middle usually attend:

High:

Lake Worth High School

Feeder schools for Lake Worth Community Middle:

Elementary:	Highland Elementary School
	North Grade K-8
	South Grade Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.9

Number of students: 1,161

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

66.2%

African American:

21.9%

White:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.4%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Lake Worth Community Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lake Worth Community Middle ranks worse than 89% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 35^th among 36 ranked middle schools in the Palm Beach School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.86. (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: Hispanic (66.2%), African American (21.9%), White (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 63.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lake Worth Community Middle is 20.9. 34 middle schools in the Palm Beach School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Lake Worth Community Middle employs 55.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lake Worth Community Middle is $11,155. 26 middle schools in the Palm Beach School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Lake Worth Community Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Lake Worth Community Middle 1065^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Lake Worth Community Middle in the ranking list.)

Palm Beach:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Lake Worth Community Middle.

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Your rating for Lake Worth Community Middle?

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Rank History for Lake Worth Community Middle

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	15.76	516^th	593	13.0%
2005	19.96	508^th	602	15.6%
2006	16.35	561^st	675	16.9%
2007	21.72	593^rd	736	19.4%
2008	16.45	629^th	740	15.0%
2009	21.00	627^th	780	19.6%
2010	26.77	642^nd	839	23.5%
2011	27.15	680^th	891	23.7%
2012	31.67	630^th	897	29.8%
2013	27.76	708^th	956	25.9%
2014	20.82	823^rd	999	17.6%
2016	17.30	859^th	997	13.8%
2017	14.06	915^th	1031	11.3%
2018	15.77	901^st	1035	12.9%
2019	18.76	924^th	1099	15.9%
2021	9.91	1068^th	1136	6.0%
2022	13.94	1033^rd	1148	10.0%
2023	10.73	1077^th	1177	8.5%
2024	13.86	1065^th	1196	11.0%

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: 2)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, May 20, 2022

This school is trash! It’s more like a prison. The kids here deserve better. Mr Williams is a careless heartless principal and Ms McKowski has a disgusting attitude toward parents. They allow the children to be bullied beat up and harassed. This school needs to be bulldozed to the ground. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Lake Worth Community Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1992	707	359	7	281	4	n/a	n/a	0	1358
1993	694	381	9	296	3	n/a	n/a	0	1383
1994	701	395	10	355	2	n/a	n/a	0	1463
1995	610	462	21	450	5	n/a	n/a	0	1548
1996	610	462	21	450	5	n/a	n/a	0	1548
1997	527	553	26	488	6	n/a	n/a	0	1600
1998	461	577	20	496	4	n/a	n/a	0	1558
1999	428	584	14	526	6	n/a	n/a	0	1558
2000	414	560	17	528	6	n/a	n/a	0	1525
2001	376	565	13	551	3	n/a	n/a	0	1508
2002	318	591	15	674	12	n/a	n/a	0	1610
2003	318	591	15	674	12	n/a	n/a	0	1610
2004	282	529	15	705	12	n/a	n/a	0	1543
2005	157	417	6	524	11	n/a	n/a	0	1115
2006	97	364	10	453	6	n/a	n/a	0	930
2007	77	329	9	405	5	n/a	n/a	21	846
2008	66	308	10	359	4	n/a	n/a	24	771
2009	94	299	10	360	3	n/a	n/a	27	793
2010	82	329	20	380	6	n/a	n/a	20	837
2011	104	328	11	440	17	10	18	0	928
2012	89	344	4	447	36	1	14	0	935
2013	84	345	5	522	54	1	12	0	1023
2014	73	345	9	489	69	0	12	0	997
2015	71	307	11	543	74	0	13	0	1019
2016	49	273	10	566	59	1	13	0	971
2017	55	278	9	626	60	1	19	0	1048
2018	70	297	7	702	45	2	18	0	1141
2019	72	286	7	721	63	2	12	0	1163
2020	82	268	9	846	63	2	14	0	1284
2021	61	257	8	813	54	1	10	0	1204
2022	75	265	8	800	63	2	12	0	1225
2023	56	266	11	840	62	0	14	0	1249
2024	60	254	10	769	55	0	13	0	1161

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 Lake Worth Community Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	1358	75.0	18.1	n/a
1993	1383	77.0	18.0	50
1994	1463	80.0	18.3	56.5
1995	1548	83.0	18.7	55.1
1996	1548	83.0	18.7	55.1
1997	1600	92.0	17.4	50.4
1998	1558	104.0	15.0	65.1
1999	1558	107.0	14.6	76.3
2000	1525	95.0	16.1	77.8
2001	1508	84.0	18.0	74.5
2002	1610	88.0	18.3	78.8
2003	1610	88.0	18.3	78.8
2004	1543	95.0	16.2	79.4
2005	1115	81.0	13.8	71.2
2006	930	76.0	12.2	87.6
2007	846	59.0	14.3	87.4
2008	771	57.0	13.5	81.3
2009	793	69.8	13.2	78.1
2010	837	54.0	15.5	80.5
2011	928	55.5	16.7	86.2
2012	935	57.0	16.4	86.8
2013	1023	61.0	16.7	89
2014	997	67.0	14.8	92.3
2015	1019	66.0	15.4	92.5
2016	971	66.0	14.7	93.7
2017	1048	64.0	16.3	91.5
2018	1141	70.0	16.3	89
2019	1163	65.0	17.8	88.5
2020	1284	68.8	18.6	86.8
2021	1204	74.3	16.2	94.4
2022	1225	72.8	16.8	93.9
2023	1249	57.0	21.9	75
2024	1161	55.5	20.9	63.4

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 Lake Worth Community Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	1358	75.0	18.1	n/a
1993	1383	77.0	18.0	50
1994	1463	80.0	18.3	56.5
1995	1548	83.0	18.7	55.1
1996	1548	83.0	18.7	55.1
1997	1600	92.0	17.4	50.4
1998	1558	104.0	15.0	65.1
1999	1558	107.0	14.6	76.3
2000	1525	95.0	16.1	77.8
2001	1508	84.0	18.0	74.5
2002	1610	88.0	18.3	78.8
2003	1610	88.0	18.3	78.8
2004	1543	95.0	16.2	79.4
2005	1115	81.0	13.8	71.2
2006	930	76.0	12.2	87.6
2007	846	59.0	14.3	87.4
2008	771	57.0	13.5	81.3
2009	793	69.8	13.2	78.1
2010	837	54.0	15.5	80.5
2011	928	55.5	16.7	86.2
2012	935	57.0	16.4	86.8
2013	1023	61.0	16.7	89
2014	997	67.0	14.8	92.3
2015	1019	66.0	15.4	92.5
2016	971	66.0	14.7	93.7
2017	1048	64.0	16.3	91.5
2018	1141	70.0	16.3	89
2019	1163	65.0	17.8	88.5
2020	1284	68.8	18.6	86.8
2021	1204	74.3	16.2	94.4
2022	1225	72.8	16.8	93.9
2023	1249	57.0	21.9	75
2024	1161	55.5	20.9	63.4

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 Lake Worth Community Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$696 (8.7%)	$7,263 (91.3%)	$7,959
2019	$811 (10.4%)	$6,996 (89.6%)	$7,808
2020	$746 (8.6%)	$7,938 (91.4%)	$8,685
2021	$1,016 (9.9%)	$9,295 (90.1%)	$10,311
2022	$1,842 (16.3%)	$9,456 (83.7%)	$11,298
2023	$1,750 (15.7%)	$9,405 (84.3%)	$11,155

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lake Worth Community Middle

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 924^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 1077^th of 1177 Middle schools	7.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Lake Worth Community Middle)	29	21	8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Palm Beach)	58	54	4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lake Worth Community Middle)	25	4	21%
6th Grade Mathematics (Palm Beach)	60	50	10%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Lake Worth Community Middle)	29	24	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Palm Beach)	53	51	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Lake Worth Community Middle)	9	7	2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Palm Beach)	35	27	8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Lake Worth Community Middle)	33	23	10%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Palm Beach)	58	51	7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Lake Worth Community Middle)	42	34	8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Palm Beach)	64	57	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Lake Worth Community Middle)	26	20	6%
8th Grade Science (Palm Beach)	51	46	5%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Lake Worth Community Middle)	47	41	6%
End of Course Civics (Palm Beach)	72	65	7%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Lake Worth Community Middle)	83	48	35%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Palm Beach)	65	54	11%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Lake Worth Community Middle)	86	79	7%
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	1163	1249	7.4%
African American	286	266	7%
American Indian	63	62	1.6%
Asian	7	11	57.1%
Hispanic	721	840	16.5%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	72	56	22.2%
Two or More Races	12	14	16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	88.5%	75%	13.5%

Schools Near Lake Worth Community Middle

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
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	1,161	56	20.9	63.4%	60 (5.2%)	254 (21.9%)	769 (66.2%)	10 (0.9%)	55 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (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
Palm Springs Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1560 Kirk Rd	Palm Springs	33406	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 434-3300	1,470	91	16.2	66.2%	120 (8.2%)	268 (18.2%)	1,020 (69.4%)	21 (1.4%)	14 (1.0%)	5 (0.3%)	22 (1.5%)	35	793^rd of 1196 public middle schools	33.7%		25.3	904^th of 1177 public middle schools	23.2%	111	41.0	35.0	42.0	39.0	27.0	55.0	41.0	85.0	79.0		48.0	$12,186	$1,954	$10,232
Sports Leadership And Management (Slam) Middle School Palm	Public, Charter	6-8	2845 Summit Blvd	West Palm Beach	33406	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	Yes	No	No	Yes	(561) 641-4449	334	17	19.6	71.0%	28 (8.4%)	36 (10.8%)	258 (77.2%)	4 (1.2%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	36.2	777^th of 1196 public middle schools	35.0%		31.4	825^th of 1177 public middle schools	29.9%	48	49.0	38.0	42.0	46.0	50.0	51.0	22.0	73.0			48.0	$9,704	$1,045	$8,658
Conniston Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	3630 Parker Ave	West Palm Beach	33405	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 802-5400	1,105	73	15.1	67.0%	134 (12.1%)	167 (15.1%)	770 (69.7%)	10 (0.9%)	12 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.1%)	32.8	829^th of 1196 public middle schools	30.7%		23.6	928^th of 1177 public middle schools	21.2%	99	42.0	36.0	45.0	38.0	23.0	56.0	34.0	85.0	90.0		57.0	$12,576	$1,873	$10,703
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	768	54	14.3	72.7%	53 (6.9%)	318 (41.4%)	356 (46.4%)	6 (0.8%)	21 (2.7%)	3 (0.4%)	11 (1.4%)	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
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	1,387	90	15.4	70.5%	135 (9.7%)	194 (14.0%)	998 (72.0%)	22 (1.6%)	22 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.2%)	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
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	852	57	15.0	65.4%	76 (8.9%)	313 (36.7%)	393 (46.1%)	20 (2.3%)	28 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.5%)	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
Okeeheelee Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2200 Pinehurst Dr	Greenacres	33413	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 434-3200	1,426	78	18.4	62.3%	107 (7.5%)	235 (16.5%)	1,034 (72.5%)	13 (0.9%)	18 (1.3%)	2 (0.1%)	17 (1.2%)	38.2	743^rd of 1196 public middle schools	37.9%		32.9	801^st of 1177 public middle schools	31.9%	58	44.0	42.0	38.0	47.0	18.0	65.0	34.0	96.0	90.0		55.0	$11,366	$1,900	$9,466
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	527	27	19.8	69.4%	23 (4.4%)	277 (52.6%)	219 (41.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	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
Roosevelt Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1900 N Australian Ave	West Palm Beach	33407	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 822-0200	807	56	14.5	77.7%	11 (1.4%)	513 (63.6%)	258 (32.0%)	14 (1.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	46.4	637^th of 1196 public middle schools	46.7%		36.1	752^nd of 1177 public middle schools	36.1%	115	50.0	42.0	43.0	61.0	26.0	73.0	33.0	63.0			59.0	$15,387	$2,165	$13,222

Lake Worth Community Middle

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Rank History for Lake Worth Community Middle

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Enrollment information for Lake Worth Community Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lake Worth Community Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Lake Worth Community Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lake Worth Community Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Lake Worth Community Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Lake Worth Community Middle