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Desoto Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

921^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,205 Florida Middle Schools

Better than 24% of Florida middle schools

Summary

Desoto Middle School is a public middle school located in Arcadia, Florida, serving 1,011 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Desoto District, which is ranked 66th out of 67 districts in Florida and is rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Desoto Middle School consistently performs below the state average in various standardized tests, including FAST (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) for English Language Arts and Math, as well as End-of-Course (EOC) exams for Algebra 1, Geometry, Civics, and Statewide Science. The school also experiences high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 30.9% to 37.7% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Desoto Middle School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 63.86% to 73.82% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

In comparison, Woodland Middle School, located in the Sarasota District, which is ranked 11th out of 67 districts in Florida and rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, significantly outperforms Desoto Middle School in academic achievement. This raises questions about the effective allocation and utilization of resources to support student learning at Desoto Middle School, despite its relatively high spending per student ranging from $9,433 to $11,629 over the past few years.

922

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,333

Per pupil spending ?

57.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

420 E Gibson St
Arcadia, FL 34266

(863) 494-4133

District: Desoto

Students who attend Desoto Middle School usually attend:

High:

Desoto County High School

Feeder schools for Desoto Middle School:

Elementary:	Memorial Elementary School
	Nocatee Elementary School
	West Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.3%

White:

27.2%

African American:

13.4%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Desoto Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 11th percentile in 2016 → 24th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 24th (2025) from a 11th-percentile low (2016)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (44% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Science scores 26 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg42%

Florida avg58%

921^st of 1,205

Florida public middle schools ?

Bottom 24%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

66^th of 67Desoto among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	921 of 1205	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.2	967 of 1196	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	966 of 1177	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.4	978 of 1148	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.8	938 of 1136	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	916 of 1099	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.8	845 of 1035	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.6	882 of 1031	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	14.6	883 of 997	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	33.3	670 of 999	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	33.6	654 of 956	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	36.1	592 of 897	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.5	549 of 891	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.6	524 of 839	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	45.6	462 of 780	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	38.6	498 of 740	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	42.0	459 of 736	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	36.4	456 of 675	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	44.7	363 of 602	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	28.9	450 of 593	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Algebra 163%+3 vs state

Civics61%-10 vs state

Math47%-9 vs state

English Language Arts41%-16 vs state

Science23%-26 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, January 29, 2022

Violence and drugs run rampant. Leadership doesn’t care about the kids Close Quote

Schools Near Desoto Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)			FAST Math (2025)			Statewide Science Science (2025)	EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Geometry (2025)	EOC Civics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Desoto Middle School	Public	6-8	420 E Gibson St	Arcadia	34266	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	No	(863) 494-4133	922	56	16.4	57.5%	251 (27.2%)	124 (13.4%)	510 (55.3%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.3%)	26.9	921^st of 1205 public middle schools	23.6%		22.2	967^th of 1196 public middle schools	19.1%	46	48.0	38.0	39.0	55.0	37.0	46.0	23.0	63.0		61.0	$12,333	$1,676	$10,657
Woodland Middle School	Public	6-8	2700 Panacea Blvd	North Port	34289	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 240-8590	1,040	62	16.7	51.2%	630 (60.6%)	93 (8.9%)	217 (20.9%)	18 (1.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (7.7%)	55.8	512^th of 1205 public middle schools	57.5%		56	503^rd of 1196 public middle schools	57.9%	9	58.0	53.0	60.0	65.0	64.0	39.0	54.0	92.0	100.0	86.0	$12,642	$232	$12,411

Frequently Asked Questions about Desoto Middle School

What district is Desoto Middle School in?

Desoto

Is Desoto Middle School a good school?

Desoto Middle School ranks in the bottom 23.6% of Florida middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Desoto Middle School attend?

Students who attend Desoto Middle School usually go on to attend Desoto County High School

How many students attend Desoto Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 922 students attended Desoto Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Desoto Middle School?

Students at Desoto Middle School are 55% Hispanic, 27% White, 13% African American, 3% Two or more races.

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Schools in Arcadia, FL

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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.