Summary:
Stuart, Florida is home to three public middle schools serving grades 6-8, all part of the Martin County School District, which holds a mid-tier 3-star rating and ranks 35th out of 70 districts statewide. Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School (911 students), Stuart Middle School (777 students), and Murray Middle School (564 students) each serve a combined enrollment of 2,252 students, with varying levels of socioeconomic need and academic performance.
Stuart Middle School is the consistent top performer, ranking in the 50th percentile statewide and earning a 3-star rating, while achieving the highest proficiency in standard 7th-grade math (76%) and 8th-grade science. Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School is an advanced coursework powerhouse, with perfect 100% proficiency in Geometry and 96% in Biology 1, though its overall state ranking is lower at the 30th percentile. Murray Middle School has the highest need, with 65.25% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch and a 29.7% chronic absenteeism rate, but it also receives the highest per-student spending ($14,817) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio (17:1).
A key finding is the "advanced coursework vs. core proficiency" paradox: all three schools excel in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Biology 1 (often exceeding 90% proficiency), yet struggle in standard 8th-grade math and science, with Anderson showing just 18% proficiency in 8th-grade math despite 100% in Geometry. Chronic absenteeism is a clear performance indicator, as Murray has the highest absenteeism and lowest ranking, while Stuart achieves the best results with the lowest spending per student ($11,434). Notably, 7th-grade math is a universal strength, with all three schools beating the state average of 53% proficiency.
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