Middle Schools in Leon

Leon County is home to eight middle schools serving grades 6 through 8, with the district ranking in the 44th percentile statewide and earning a 2-star rating, revealing a significant divide in educational outcomes across the area.

The top-performing schools are William J Montford III Middle School and Deerlake Middle School, both 4-star institutions ranking in the top 20% of Florida middle schools. These schools boast high test scores, low poverty rates (under 20% free/reduced lunch), and low chronic absenteeism (around 24%). In contrast, Griffin Middle School and R. Frank Nims Middle School are the most challenged, with 0-star ratings, very high poverty rates (over 70%), and chronic absenteeism exceeding 60%. Swift Creek Middle School is a solid 3-star performer, while Fairview Middle School showed remarkable improvement, jumping from the 24th to the 45th percentile due to major gains in 8th-grade science and math.

Key metrics highlight a stark poverty-achievement gap, with the lowest-poverty schools outperforming the highest-poverty schools by a wide margin. Chronic absenteeism is a critical indicator, as the most struggling schools have rates nearly double the district average of 36.8%. Interestingly, higher per-student spending does not correlate with success—the lowest-performing schools spend the most per student, likely addressing greater student needs. Advanced coursework proficiency is high across all schools, but this likely reflects a small group of select students taking these exams rather than overall school performance.