Beulah Middle School

Beulah Middle School in Pensacola, FL, is a mid-sized public school serving 1,070 students in grades 6-8 within the Escambia County School District, a district ranked in the bottom half of Florida.

Beulah Middle School presents a fascinating paradox for parents. On one hand, it achieves exceptional results in advanced coursework, with 97% of students proficient in Algebra 1 and 85% in Civics—scores that dramatically outpace both the district and state averages. This suggests a strong program for high-achieving students. On the other hand, the school struggles with core FAST assessments in English Language Arts and Math, where proficiency rates (around 50%) fall below state averages. This creates a "barbell" profile where top students thrive while average students may need more support. Interestingly, Beulah achieves these advanced results while spending the least per student ($8,256) among nearby peers and having the highest student-teacher ratio (21.4), challenging assumptions about the link between spending and performance. The school has also made significant progress in reducing chronic absenteeism, dropping from 36% to 27.5%—now lower than the district average and many nearby schools like Warrington Preparatory Academy (53.1%).

Parents should note the stark contrast with Beulah Academy Of Science, located just 0.38 miles away, which outperforms Beulah Middle in nearly every metric, including a 4-star rating and much lower chronic absenteeism (19.4%). This proximity gives families a clear choice between a high-performing charter school and a traditional public school that is working to find consistent instructional strategies. While Beulah Middle excels in advanced subjects and is cost-effective, its inconsistent year-over-year performance and gap between top and average students are key considerations for parents evaluating their options.