Middle Schools in Martin

This analysis examines five middle schools in the Martin County school district in Florida, which serves grades 6 through 8 and includes schools ranging from 446 to 920 students.

Hidden Oaks Middle School is the clear standout, earning a 4-star rating for three consecutive years and ranking in the 82nd percentile statewide. It has the lowest poverty rate (23.8% free/reduced lunch) and the lowest chronic absenteeism (18.8%), while consistently outperforming district and state averages. In contrast, Indiantown Middle School and Murray Middle School are the lowest-performing, with 1-star ratings, the highest chronic absenteeism rates (31.7% and 29.7%), and the highest poverty rates (66.14% and 65.25%). Stuart Middle School ranks in the 50th percentile with a 2-star rating, while Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School ranks in the 30th percentile with a 1-star rating.

A key finding is that higher per-student spending does not guarantee better results—the two highest-spending schools (Indiantown at $16,286 and Murray at $14,817) are the lowest-performing, while Hidden Oaks spends the second-least ($11,832). Additionally, all five schools show a dramatic drop in 8th-grade math proficiency compared to 6th and 7th grades, suggesting a district-wide curriculum challenge. However, advanced coursework is a strength, with all schools scoring 85% or higher in Algebra 1 and four out of five scoring 95% or higher in Geometry, indicating that students in advanced tracks are well-supported regardless of the school's overall performance.