Diplomat Middle School

Diplomat Middle School in Cape Coral, FL, is a public school serving 1,097 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Lee County School District, where roughly half of the students come from low-income households.

Diplomat has a standout strength in its advanced math program, with 87% of students proficient in Algebra 1—far exceeding the district (56%) and state (63%) averages and even outperforming nearby schools like Oak Hammock Middle School (81%) and Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School (84%). However, the school faces significant challenges. Chronic absenteeism has surged to 37.4%, higher than the district (34.6%) and state (31.4%) averages, and this likely contributes to a recent decline in overall performance—from a 3-star rating to a 2-star rating. General math proficiency is a weak spot, especially in 7th grade, where only 41% of students are proficient compared to 53% statewide. This "tale of two math programs" suggests that while high-achieving students are well-supported, many others struggle. Additionally, Diplomat has a higher student-to-teacher ratio (21.8) than nearby schools like Cypress Lake Middle School (19.0) and Trafalgar Middle School (18.6), which may impact classroom support.

Compared to its closest neighbor, Caloosa Middle School (2.87 miles away), Diplomat performs better in most academic areas despite serving a similar demographic. For example, 61% of 8th graders at Diplomat are proficient in ELA versus 51% at Caloosa. Yet, both schools struggle with high absenteeism. Interestingly, Diplomat’s per-student spending ($10,107) is lower than some lower-performing peers, like Fort Myers Middle School ($12,354), while the top-performing Oasis Charter Middle School spends the least ($8,683). This suggests that addressing absenteeism and instructional strategies may be more critical than funding alone for improving outcomes at Diplomat.