Arlington Middle School

Arlington Middle School in Jacksonville, FL, serves 684 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Duval district, where 63% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Academically, Arlington Middle School faces significant challenges. Across all grade levels, proficiency in English Language Arts and Math is well below both district and state averages—for example, only 24-29% of students are proficient in ELA compared to the state average of 60-62%. However, the school shows a striking split in performance: in advanced courses like Algebra 1 and Biology 1, proficiency rates are very high (89% and 95%, respectively), suggesting a small group of students is excelling. Meanwhile, grade-level subjects like Civics and 8th Grade Science see critically low scores (46% and 17%). This pattern indicates that while some students are accelerated, the majority struggle with core material. A positive note is that chronic absenteeism has dropped to 30.9%, which is now lower than the district average of 44.8% and close to the state average.

Comparing Arlington to nearby schools reveals important context. Just 2.5 miles away, Fort Caroline Middle School serves a similar student population but outperforms Arlington in every grade-level subject—for instance, 56% proficiency in 7th Grade Math versus Arlington’s 18%. This suggests that the challenges at Arlington are not solely due to demographics but may involve school-specific issues. Additionally, Arlington spends $11,263 per student, more than higher-performing schools like Lavilla School Of The Arts ($9,692) and Julia Landon College Preparatory ($7,711), indicating that funding alone isn’t the problem. There is a glimmer of hope in 8th Grade Math, which has improved from 28% to 46% proficiency over three years, approaching the district average.