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Vanguard High School

Q: Is Vanguard High School a good school?

Vanguard High School ranks 435 th of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

435^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 838 Florida High Schools

Better than 48% of Florida high schools

Summary

Vanguard High School in Ocala, FL, is a large public high school serving 1,684 students in grades 9-12 within the Marion County School District, where over half of its students come from low-income families. This school stands out for its dramatic recent improvement in graduation rates, soaring from 75.8% in 2022-2023 to 91.6% in 2024-2025—now the second-highest among local comprehensive high schools, trailing only Forest High School (96.1%). However, this success in keeping students on track to graduate hasn't been matched by similar gains in core academic skills, as proficiency scores in subjects like Algebra 1 and English Language Arts have remained flat or declined.

Vanguard shows a "tale of two subjects" in math: it has the lowest Algebra 1 proficiency in the district at just 39%, yet it is the second-best performer in Geometry, tied with Forest at 39% proficiency. This unusual gap suggests that struggling math students may be concentrated in Algebra 1, while stronger students take Geometry. The school also excels in U.S. History, with 73% of students proficient—higher than the district average and nearly matching the state average. In contrast, chronic absenteeism is a concern at 34.0%, higher than the state average and significantly worse than top-performing peers like Forest (23.2%) and Belleview High School (30.9%).

With a student-teacher ratio of 22.1:1—the second-highest among local comprehensive schools—Vanguard may face challenges with larger class sizes despite spending $9,579 per student, which is average for the district. The school holds a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, a slight drop from its consistent 3-star ratings between 2015 and 2019, and ranks in the 48th percentile statewide. While it struggles in areas like Algebra 1 and absenteeism, its strong graduation rate and U.S. History performance provide a foundation for improvement, placing it in a competitive middle ground among schools like Lake Weir High School and North Marion High School.

1,684

Students ?

22.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,579

Per pupil spending ?

52.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7 NW 28th St
Ocala, FL 34475

(352) 671-4900

District: Marion

Feeder schools for Vanguard High School:

Elementary:	Oakcrest Elementary School
	Ocala Springs Elementary School
	Wyomina Park Elementary School
Middle:	Fort King Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

33.9%

African American:

32.7%

Hispanic:

23.4%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Vanguard High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 61st percentile in 2016 → 48th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (57% vs 64% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

!Algebra 1 scores 24 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg55%

Florida avg64%

435^th of 838

Florida public high schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to bottom 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 9High Schools in the Marion

63^rd of 70Marion among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	42.5	435 of 838	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.6	489 of 844	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.1	461 of 807	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.1	399 of 792	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.4	418 of 774	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.2	394 of 746	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.5	362 of 734	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.1	332 of 716	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.4	324 of 714	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.9	273 of 693	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	52.2	307 of 687	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.2	281 of 648	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	48.5	253 of 606	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.4	182 of 622	70.7%	★★★★☆
2010	74.8	144 of 620	76.8%	★★★★☆
2009	76.2	119 of 587	79.7%	★★★★☆
2008	75.3	127 of 577	78.0%	★★★★☆
2007	77.3	102 of 563	81.9%	★★★★☆
2006	78.3	84 of 477	82.4%	★★★★☆
2005	72.9	123 of 487	74.7%	★★★★☆
2004	82.2	72 of 484	85.1%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

US History73%~ state avg

Biology 165%-9 vs state

English Language Arts57%-3 vs state

Geometry39%-17 vs state

Algebra 139%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Vanguard High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)		FAST Math (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC US History (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Vanguard High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	7 NW 28th St	Ocala	34475	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-4900	1,684	76	22.1	52.3%	571 (33.9%)	551 (32.7%)	394 (23.4%)	80 (4.8%)	6 (0.4%)	4 (0.2%)	78 (4.6%)	42.5	435^th of 838 public high schools	48.1%		37.6	489^th of 844 public high schools	42.1%	54	59.0	55.0		39.0	39.0	65.0	73.0	$9,579	$870	$8,707
Ocali Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3850 W Anthony Rd	Ocala	34475	Marion County	Marion	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(352) 264-9940	116	7	16.5	55.2%	54 (46.6%)	24 (20.7%)	29 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.9%)	15.1	689^th of 838 public high schools	17.8%		30.7	579^th of 844 public high schools	31.4%	110	37.0	43.0		16.0	17.0	41.0	50.0	$11,115	$252	$10,863
Pace Center For Girls Inc.	Public	6-12	328 NE 1st Ave	Ocala	34470	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 369-0571	40	0	7.6	87.5%	13 (32.5%)	12 (30.0%)	10 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (12.5%)								(n/a)								$6,423	$487	$5,936
Marion County Acceleration Academy	Public	8-12	1515 E Silver Springs Blvd	Ocala	34470	Marion County	Marion	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(352) 329-2799	304	5	60.8	62.8%	132 (43.4%)	86 (28.3%)	67 (22.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.9%)	4.1	750^th of 838 public high schools	10.5%					(n/a)		31.0	13.0	6.0				$139	$36	$103
McSo Adults	Public	9-12	700 NW 30th Ave	Ocala	34475	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 732-1450	10	0		30.0%	1 (10.0%)	7 (70.0%)	2 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$38,958	$27	$38,931
Hillcrest	Public	6-12	3143 SE 17th St	Ocala	34471	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-6800	162	29	5.5	49.4%	74 (45.7%)	29 (17.9%)	50 (30.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.9%)								(n/a)								$47,565	$14,002	$33,563
Forest High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	5000 SE Maricamp Rd	Ocala	34480	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 671-4700	2,387	99	24.1	37.3%	1,278 (53.5%)	398 (16.7%)	529 (22.2%)	54 (2.3%)	6 (0.3%)	6 (0.3%)	116 (4.9%)	50.7	333^rd of 838 public high schools	60.3%		53.5	289^th of 844 public high schools	65.8%	44	59.0	60.0		52.0	57.0	69.0	78.0	$9,573	$813	$8,760
West Port High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3733 SW 80th Ave	Ocala	34481	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 291-4000	3,022	120	25.1	44.9%	886 (29.3%)	574 (19.0%)	1,305 (43.2%)	105 (3.5%)	13 (0.4%)	11 (0.4%)	128 (4.2%)	46.3	394^th of 838 public high schools	53.0%		47.2	368^th of 844 public high schools	56.4%	26	55.0	62.0		28.0	46.0	75.0	77.0	$8,443	$760	$7,683
North Marion High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	151 W Highway 329	Citra	32113	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-6010	1,228	57	21.5	57.0%	631 (51.4%)	271 (22.1%)	277 (22.6%)	6 (0.5%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (3.2%)	26.7	614^th of 838 public high schools	26.7%		24.4	640^th of 844 public high schools	24.2%	26	47.0	55.0		12.0	34.0	61.0	50.0	$10,427	$909	$9,517
Belleview High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	10400 SE 36th Ave	Belleview	34420	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-6210	1,904	81	23.5	45.7%	940 (49.4%)	189 (9.9%)	649 (34.1%)	18 (0.9%)	12 (0.6%)	3 (0.2%)	93 (4.9%)	41.1	457^th of 838 public high schools	45.5%		38.9	478^th of 844 public high schools	43.4%	21	56.0	57.0		30.0	49.0	66.0	71.0	$9,030	$959	$8,071

Frequently Asked Questions about Vanguard High School

How many students attend Vanguard High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,684 students attended Vanguard High School.

Is Vanguard High School a good school?

Vanguard High School ranks 435^th of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Vanguard High School?

Vanguard High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Oakcrest Elementary School
Elementary : Ocala Springs Elementary School
Elementary : Wyomina Park Elementary School
Middle : Fort King Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Vanguard High School?

Students at Vanguard High School are 34% White, 33% African American, 23% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Vanguard High School in?

Marion

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataAug 18, 2026

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.