James A. Shanks Middle School

James A. Shanks Middle School is a public middle school in Quincy, Florida, serving grades 4-8 with a total enrollment of 526 students. The school is part of the Gadsden School District, which is ranked 64th out of 67 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past several years, James A. Shanks Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Florida middle schools, with a ranking between 829 and 1098 out of around 1,200 schools.

The school faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 30.9% to 56.0%, well below average standardized test scores, and an extremely high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 89.54% to 92.16%. The school's academic performance, as measured by test scores, is consistently well below state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 9% to 43% in English Language Arts and 30% to 39% in Math, compared to state averages of 55% to 60%.

Interestingly, the nearby West Gadsden Middle School, which is also part of the Gadsden School District, has similar performance challenges to James A. Shanks Middle School. Both schools rank in the bottom quarter of Florida middle schools and have low test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and high percentages of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This suggests a need for a comprehensive review of the educational practices, resources, and support systems in the district to address the root causes of the persistent underperformance at these schools.