Summary
Marathon School in Marathon, FL, serves 809 students in grades 6 through 12 and is part of the Monroe district, which holds a strong 4-star rating. While the district ranks in the 73rd percentile statewide, Marathon School itself has a 2-star rating and ranks in the 40th percentile, indicating it underperforms relative to its high-performing district. The school serves a community with moderate economic need, as about half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and it benefits from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.7:1 and high per-pupil spending exceeding $17,000.
A standout strength is middle school mathematics, particularly 7th-grade math, where 67% of students were proficient in 2024-2025—outpacing both the district (60%) and state (50%). However, this success is uneven: 8th-grade math proficiency has been alarmingly low, dropping to just 2% in 2023-2024, compared to district rates of 42-49%. This creates a "math crisis" that threatens readiness for high school courses like Algebra 1, where proficiency lags behind state averages. Interestingly, Geometry scores are strong (64% vs. state 55%), suggesting advanced math students are well-served, while foundational math struggles persist. The school has also made a dramatic improvement in chronic absenteeism, slashing it from 37.5% in 2021-2022 to 19.4% in 2023-2024—now better than both the district (21.8%) and state (31.4%).
Despite these resources and attendance gains, academic performance in most subjects—including ELA, science, and Algebra 1—consistently trails state averages. This disconnect between high spending and low results suggests the challenge lies in instructional strategies or curriculum alignment rather than funding or class size. The graduation rate is volatile, recently jumping to 93.8% but dipping to 83.1% the prior year. For parents, Marathon School offers a mixed picture: strong middle school math and improving attendance, but significant gaps in 8th-grade math and overall academic proficiency that require focused attention.
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