Middle Schools in Lake

Summary:

Lake County, Florida, is home to nine middle schools serving grades 6 through 8, with the district ranking in the 54th percentile statewide and offering a mix of high-performing and challenged schools. East Ridge Middle School stands out as the top performer, consistently earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 72nd percentile, with exceptional proficiency in Algebra 1 (92%) and Geometry (100%), along with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (27.9%) and the lowest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (20.84%). In contrast, Oak Park Middle School faces significant challenges, ranking in the 12th percentile with the highest chronic absenteeism (53.0%) and the highest poverty rate (55.56%), resulting in the lowest test scores across the district. Gray Middle School shows the most improvement, jumping 10 percentile points in state ranking, while Windy Hill Middle School also excels with 91% Algebra 1 proficiency.

Key metrics reveal wide disparities: enrollment ranges from 558 at Oak Park to 1,089 at East Ridge, and chronic absenteeism exceeds the state average of 31.4% at six of the nine schools. Per-student spending varies from $9,255 at Mt. Dora Middle School to $11,773 at Carver Middle School, yet higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes—Carver ranks in the bottom third despite the highest spending. Student-teacher ratios average 18.0:1, with Tavares Middle School having the lowest ratio (15.8:1) and Mt. Dora the highest (20.4:1). A notable weakness is 7th Grade Math, where only Carver (57%) exceeds the state average, while Eustis Middle School (18%) and Oak Park (23%) lag significantly.

Interesting findings include the "Algebra 1 Anomaly," where all nine schools surpass the state average in Algebra 1, suggesting a district-wide focus on advanced math, yet this success does not translate to 7th Grade Math. Chronic absenteeism is a pervasive issue, with Umatilla Middle School (49.7%) and Carver (51.4%) also showing high rates, creating a cycle of disengagement. Additionally, all schools reporting Geometry scores achieved 100% proficiency, indicating a strong advanced math pipeline for top students. Overall, the Lake district shows that socioeconomic factors and attendance are critical drivers of performance, with East Ridge and Windy Hill leading, while Oak Park and Eustis require targeted support.

District Detail

201 W Burleigh Blvd
Tavares, FL 32778-2407

(352) 253-6500

SchoolDigger Rank:
32^nd of 70 Florida districts

See the 2026 Florida District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 47,340

Primary Schools: 31
Middle Schools: 9
High Schools: 14
Alternative Schools: 6

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
Gray Middle School	Public	6-8	205 E Magnolia St	Groveland	34736	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	No	(352) 429-3322	985	55	17.7	40.0%	332 (33.7%)	178 (18.1%)	411 (41.7%)	13 (1.3%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.5%)	43 (4.4%)	41.5	753^rd of 1216 public middle schools	38.1%		31.7	864^th of 1205 public middle schools	28.3%	111	62.0	51.0	48.0	63.0	33.0	57.0	49.0	77.0	88.0	69.0	$9,819	$470	$9,349
Tavares Middle School	Public	6-8	1335 Lane Park Cutoff Ofc	Tavares	32778	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	No	(352) 343-4545	933	59	15.8	48.0%	468 (50.2%)	170 (18.2%)	223 (23.9%)	14 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (5.9%)	35.2	842^nd of 1216 public middle schools	30.8%		42.9	705^th of 1205 public middle schools	41.5%	137	55.0	54.0	49.0	45.0	38.0	54.0	44.0	77.0	100.0	69.0	$11,126	$1,105	$10,021
Oak Park Middle School	Public	6-8	2101 South St	Leesburg	34748	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 787-3232	558	31	18.0	55.6%	131 (23.5%)	230 (41.2%)	141 (25.3%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	42 (7.5%)	16.8	1066^th of 1216 public middle schools	12.3%		20.4	996^th of 1205 public middle schools	17.3%	70	44.0	38.0	41.0	43.0	23.0	35.0	30.0	45.0	100.0	62.0	$11,681	$1,347	$10,333
Carver Middle School	Public	6-8	1200 N. Beecher St	Leesburg	34748	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 787-7868	737	46	16.1	50.1%	233 (31.6%)	234 (31.8%)	211 (28.6%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.8%)	47 (6.4%)	32.5	882^nd of 1216 public middle schools	27.5%		25.2	938^th of 1205 public middle schools	22.2%	56	52.0	45.0	45.0	47.0	57.0	44.0	42.0	70.0	95.0	61.0	$11,773	$1,720	$10,053
Mt. Dora Middle School	Public	6-8	1405 Lincoln Ave	Mount Dora	32757	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	No	(352) 383-6101	845	41	20.4	40.0%	379 (44.9%)	137 (16.2%)	282 (33.4%)	10 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (4.0%)	37.4	815^th of 1216 public middle schools	33.0%		37.7	776^th of 1205 public middle schools	35.6%	39	52.0	54.0	50.0	54.0	24.0	56.0	49.0	79.0	91.0	71.0	$9,255	$611	$8,644
Umatilla Middle School	Public	6-8	305 E Lake St	Umatilla	32784	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 669-3171	633	32	19.7	44.5%	458 (72.4%)	22 (3.5%)	106 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.0%)	44.3	706^th of 1216 public middle schools	41.9%		44.2	681^st of 1205 public middle schools	43.5%	25	57.0	55.0	51.0	70.0	38.0	53.0	49.0	80.0	100.0	74.0	$10,698	$1,360	$9,337
Eustis Middle School	Public	6-8	18725 Bates Ave	Eustis	32736	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 357-3366	790	47	16.8	48.0%	333 (42.2%)	174 (22.0%)	217 (27.5%)	15 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (6.5%)	19.9	1038^th of 1216 public middle schools	14.6%		24.7	941^st of 1205 public middle schools	21.9%	97	46.0	40.0	41.0	32.0	18.0	42.0	39.0	88.0	100.0	58.0	$10,910	$1,203	$9,707
Windy Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	3575 Hancock Rd	Clermont	34711	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	No	(352) 394-2123	1,017	55	18.4	23.3%	404 (39.7%)	144 (14.2%)	383 (37.7%)	29 (2.9%)	8 (0.8%)	4 (0.4%)	45 (4.4%)	57.5	503^rd of 1216 public middle schools	58.6%		57.5	489^th of 1205 public middle schools	59.4%	14	59.0	64.0	65.0	49.0	37.0	71.0	66.0	91.0	100.0	73.0	$9,316	$480	$8,835
East Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	13201 Excalibur Rd	Clermont	34711	Lake County	Lake	No	No	No	No	(352) 536-8020	1,089	58	18.7	20.8%	481 (44.2%)	145 (13.3%)	347 (31.9%)	55 (5.1%)	6 (0.6%)	4 (0.4%)	51 (4.7%)	69.5	338^th of 1216 public middle schools	72.2%		71.5	311^th of 1205 public middle schools	74.2%	27	69.0	66.0	75.0	66.0	31.0	78.0	72.0	92.0	100.0	83.0	$9,357	$363	$8,995

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Sumter	9.3 mi	16	26^th
Marion	10.69 mi	66	63^rd
Hernando	13.87 mi	38	46^th
Orange	18.19 mi	286	30^th
Citrus	25.53 mi	26	53^rd

See the top FL Florida districts

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.