Summary:
The city of Umatilla, Florida, is served by three public schools within the Lake County School District, which has a 3-star rating and ranks in the 54th percentile statewide. These schools include Umatilla Elementary School (PK-5), Umatilla Middle School (6-8), and Umatilla High School (9-12), with a combined enrollment of 2,244 students.
Umatilla High School stands out for its exceptional 97.7% graduation rate, far exceeding both the district (94.4%) and state (92.2%) averages, despite a troubling 56.2% chronic absenteeism rate. The school shows strong performance in US History (72% proficient) and Biology (70% proficient), but struggles with Algebra 1 (30% proficient) and all English Language Arts (ELA) scores fall below state averages. Umatilla Middle School is a powerhouse for advanced math, with 100% of Geometry EOC students and 80% of Algebra 1 students achieving proficiency, though 7th-grade math proficiency is a weak point at 38%. Umatilla Elementary School excels in 5th-grade math (70% proficient in 2024-2025), but experienced a dramatic 23-point drop in 4th-grade ELA proficiency from 57% to 34%.
A key takeaway is the city-wide challenge in English Language Arts, where every grade level at every school scored below the state average in 2025-2026. The middle school, despite having the lowest per-student spending ($10,698), delivers the strongest academic results in advanced coursework, challenging the assumption that higher spending guarantees better outcomes. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern at the high school (56.2%) and middle school (49.7%), though the elementary school is below the district average at 29.6%. All three schools currently hold a 2-star rating, with state rankings ranging from the 34th percentile (elementary) to the 48th percentile (high school).
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