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Dunnellon Middle School

Q: Is Dunnellon Middle School a good school?

Dunnellon Middle School ranks 835 th of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

835^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,216 Florida Middle Schools

Better than 31% of Florida middle schools

Summary

Dunnellon Middle School in Dunnellon, FL, serves 712 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Marion County school district. The school has a consistent 2-star rating from Schooldigger, placing it in the lower-middle tier of Florida middle schools, and faces significant challenges with a 41.4% chronic absenteeism rate that exceeds both district and state averages. Over 58% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need.

The most striking feature of Dunnellon Middle School is its exceptional performance in Algebra 1, where 98% of students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—far outpacing the district (50%) and state (63%) averages. This success, however, does not extend to other subjects: only 39% of 6th graders are proficient in grade-level math, and Civics proficiency (56%) lags 12 points behind the district average. Nearby schools in the Citrus County district, such as Lecanto Middle School and Citrus Springs Middle School, consistently outperform Dunnellon in overall state rankings and most subject areas, despite being just a few miles away.

Despite spending $10,100 per student—comparable to higher-performing neighbors like Lecanto Middle School ($10,345)—Dunnellon’s academic outcomes remain lower, suggesting that funding alone is not the issue. The school’s most critical challenge is its high chronic absenteeism rate, which likely undermines the effectiveness of its resources. On a positive note, 7th-grade math proficiency has shown a steady upward trend, climbing from 48% to 60% over the past four years, a bright spot that could be replicated in other grades and subjects.

712

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,100

Per pupil spending ?

58.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

21005 Chestnut St
Dunnellon, FL 34431

(352) 465-6720

District: Marion

Students who attend Dunnellon Middle School usually attend:

High:

Dunnellon High School

Feeder schools for Dunnellon Middle School:

Elementary:	Dunnellon Elementary School
	Romeo Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.3%

Hispanic:

37.9%

African American:

6.6%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Dunnellon Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2016 → 31st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (52% vs 62% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (41% vs 31% Florida)

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg52%

Florida avg62%

835^th of 1,216

Florida public middle schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 10Middle Schools in the Marion

63^rd of 70Marion 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
2026	35.8	835 of 1216	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.0	720 of 1205	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.7	634 of 1196	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	609 of 1177	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.8	678 of 1148	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.9	655 of 1136	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	654 of 1099	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.5	574 of 1035	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.4	585 of 1031	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	45.8	538 of 997	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.8	637 of 999	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	36.5	622 of 956	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	37.0	584 of 897	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.6	548 of 891	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	51.9	438 of 839	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.8	385 of 780	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	40.8	483 of 740	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	44.3	442 of 736	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	47.5	374 of 675	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	51.2	318 of 602	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	45.0	348 of 593	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Algebra 198%+35 vs state

Civics56%-21 vs state

English Language Arts50%-11 vs state

Math49%-9 vs state

Science46%-6 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a student
Monday, July 3, 2017

The staff is very rude and disrespectful. I felt like a prisoner and had to keep my head down the entire time bc I felt like I was being punished. The school itself is crumbling. The curricular structure was outdated. I was only there for three days before I transferred into homeschooling. Close Quote

Schools Near Dunnellon Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Dunnellon Middle School	Public	6-8	21005 Chestnut St	Dunnellon	34431	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 465-6720	712	41	17.3	58.4%	344 (48.3%)	47 (6.6%)	270 (37.9%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.0%)	35.8	835^th of 1216 public middle schools	31.3%		42	720^th of 1205 public middle schools	40.2%	115	46.0	53.0	51.0	39.0	49.0	60.0	46.0	98.0		56.0	$10,100	$1,136	$8,963
Citrus Springs Middle School	Public	6-8	150 W Citrus Springs Blvd	Citrus Springs	34434	Citrus County	Citrus	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 344-2244	752	43	17.6	44.5%	522 (69.4%)	44 (5.9%)	111 (14.8%)	17 (2.3%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (7.2%)	53.8	559^th of 1216 public middle schools	54.0%		55.7	513^th of 1205 public middle schools	57.4%	46	58.0	59.0	68.0	36.0	53.0	73.0	62.0	99.0	100.0	71.0	$10,761	$1,093	$9,667
Crystal River Middle School	Public	6-8	344 NE Crystal St	Crystal River	34428	Citrus County	Citrus	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 795-2116	906	50	18.1	49.0%	704 (77.7%)	42 (4.6%)	87 (9.6%)	7 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (7.1%)	40.9	756^th of 1216 public middle schools	37.8%		32.5	854^th of 1205 public middle schools	29.1%	98	50.0	52.0	52.0	32.0	56.0	72.0	48.0	88.0	100.0	62.0	$11,357	$864	$10,494
Lecanto Middle School	Public	6-8	3800 W Educational Path	Lecanto	34461	Citrus County	Citrus	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 746-2050	786	42	18.7	40.6%	583 (74.2%)	21 (2.7%)	107 (13.6%)	24 (3.1%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.0%)	61.1	455^th of 1216 public middle schools	62.6%		54.9	519^th of 1205 public middle schools	56.9%	64	62.0	67.0	63.0	47.0	78.0	76.0	56.0	94.0	93.0	77.0	$10,345	$915	$9,430
Inverness Middle School	Public	6-8	1950 Highway 41 N	Inverness	34450	Citrus County	Citrus	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 726-1471	911	58	15.7	47.4%	711 (78.0%)	40 (4.4%)	83 (9.1%)	17 (1.9%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (6.3%)	37.2	819^th of 1216 public middle schools	32.6%		39.2	758^th of 1205 public middle schools	37.1%	61	47.0	53.0	48.0	32.0	59.0	69.0	39.0	99.0	100.0	68.0	$11,263	$967	$10,295
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	4773 SW 95th St	Ocala	34476	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 291-7930	1,171	64	18.2	47.8%	323 (27.6%)	243 (20.8%)	460 (39.3%)	54 (4.6%)	4 (0.3%)	6 (0.5%)	81 (6.9%)	46.4	673^rd of 1216 public middle schools	44.7%		41.3	727^th of 1205 public middle schools	39.7%	54	57.0	61.0	60.0	49.0	24.0	70.0	53.0	82.0	96.0	74.0	$10,347	$1,143	$9,203
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	1,260	63	20.0	60.2%	244 (19.4%)	298 (23.7%)	640 (50.8%)	13 (1.0%)	4 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	58 (4.6%)	22.4	1009^th of 1216 public middle schools	17.0%		22.7	968^th of 1205 public middle schools	19.7%	41	48.0	45.0	42.0	36.0	41.0	36.0	35.0	81.0	100.0	59.0	$9,514	$1,108	$8,405

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunnellon Middle School

Is Dunnellon Middle School a good school?

Dunnellon Middle School ranks 835^th of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Dunnellon Middle School?

Students at Dunnellon Middle School are 48% White, 38% Hispanic, 7% African American, 6% Two or more races.

What district is Dunnellon Middle School in?

Marion

What high school do graduates of Dunnellon Middle School attend?

Students who attend Dunnellon Middle School usually go on to attend Dunnellon High School

How many students attend Dunnellon Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 712 students attended Dunnellon Middle School.

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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.