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Lake Worth Community Middle

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

1068^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,216 Florida Middle Schools

Better than 12% of Florida middle schools

Summary

Lake Worth Community Middle in Lake Worth, FL, serves 1,136 students in grades 6-8 within the Palm Beach district, where over 62% of students come from low-income families. This school presents a striking paradox: while its advanced math program is exceptional, with Algebra 1 and Geometry End-of-Course exam proficiency rates soaring above 94%—far exceeding district and state averages—the majority of students struggle significantly in core subjects. For example, English Language Arts proficiency hovers around 30-40%, and 8th-grade science proficiency is alarmingly low at 31%, both well below district benchmarks. This creates a "tale of two schools" within one building, where a select group thrives in advanced math while the general student population faces serious academic challenges.

The most critical issue driving these struggles is a severe chronic absenteeism crisis. The rate has skyrocketed to 45.3% in 2023-2024, nearly double the district average and the highest among nearby schools like Sports Leadership And Management (Slam) Middle School Palm (11.2%) and Okeeheelee Middle School (33.2%). This absenteeism epidemic makes it nearly impossible for students to achieve grade-level proficiency in reading, math, and science, and it is likely the primary barrier to improvement. Interestingly, the school's per-student spending ($14,017) is in the middle range compared to peers, yet outcomes lag behind, suggesting that resource allocation and instructional effectiveness need urgent attention.

When compared to nearby schools, the contrast is stark. South Technical Preparatory Academy, just 5.94 miles away, serves a similar percentage of low-income students but achieves dramatically better results in all core subjects (e.g., 77% vs. 36% in 6th-grade ELA) and has a much lower chronic absenteeism rate (20.1%). This proves that high poverty does not have to mean low performance. For parents considering Lake Worth Community Middle, the school offers a world-class advanced math track for a select few, but the broader environment is in crisis, driven by absenteeism and low proficiency. The most urgent priority must be to reverse the absenteeism trend and learn from successful nearby models to overhaul instruction for all students.

1,136

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,017

Per pupil spending ?

62.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1300 Barnett Dr
Lake Worth, FL 33461

(561) 540-5500

District: Palm Beach

Students who attend Lake Worth Community Middle usually attend:

High:

Lake Worth High School

Feeder schools for Lake Worth Community Middle:

Elementary:	Highland Elementary School
	North Grade K-8
	South Grade Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

66.0%

African American:

23.4%

White:

6.2%

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Compare Lake Worth Community Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 14th percentile in 2016 → 12th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (42% vs 61% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (45% vs 31% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg65%

Florida avg61%

1,068^th of 1,216

Florida public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

36^th of 38Middle Schools in the Palm Beach

33^rd of 70Palm Beach 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	16.7	1068 of 1216	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	1075 of 1205	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.9	1065 of 1196	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	1077 of 1177	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.9	1033 of 1148	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.9	1068 of 1136	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.8	924 of 1099	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.8	901 of 1035	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.1	915 of 1031	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.3	859 of 997	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	20.8	823 of 999	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	27.8	708 of 956	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.7	630 of 897	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	27.2	680 of 891	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	26.8	642 of 839	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	21.0	627 of 780	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	16.5	629 of 740	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	21.7	593 of 736	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	16.3	561 of 675	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	20.0	508 of 602	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	15.8	516 of 593	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Algebra 197%+34 vs state

Geometry96%+40 vs state

Civics55%-22 vs state

Math40%-20 vs state

English Language Arts36%-25 vs state

Science31%-21 vs state

2.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 20, 2022

This school is trash! It’s more like a prison. The kids here deserve better. Mr Williams is a careless heartless principal and Ms McKowski has a disgusting attitude toward parents. They allow the children to be bullied beat up and harassed. This school needs to be bulldozed to the ground. Close Quote

Schools Near Lake Worth Community Middle

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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)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC Civics (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	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 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lake Worth Community Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1300 Barnett Dr	Lake Worth	33461	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 540-5500	1,136	64	17.8	62.3%	70 (6.2%)	266 (23.4%)	750 (66.0%)	7 (0.6%)	38 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.4%)	16.7	1068^th of 1216 public middle schools	12.2%		13.7	1075^th of 1205 public middle schools	10.8%	7	36.0	37.0	36.0	41.0		40.0	31.0	97.0	96.0		55.0	$14,017	$1,000	$13,018
Palm Beach Preparatory Charter Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3525 S Congress Ave	Palm Beach	33461	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(561) 623-6935	37	0		75.7%	4 (10.8%)	6 (16.2%)	24 (64.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1.1	1209^th of 1216 public middle schools	0.6%					(n/a)			6.0			6.0	0.0					$20,625	$186	$20,439
Palm Springs Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1560 Kirk Rd	West Palm Beach	33406	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 434-3300	1,397	86	16.3	60.2%	108 (7.7%)	262 (18.8%)	979 (70.1%)	14 (1.0%)	7 (0.5%)	5 (0.4%)	22 (1.6%)	39.9	775^th of 1216 public middle schools	36.3%		36.1	801^st of 1205 public middle schools	33.5%	26	50.0	53.0	55.0	44.0		58.0	48.0	86.0	78.0		65.0	$13,975	$1,025	$12,950
Sports Leadership And Management (Slam) Middle School Palm	Public, Charter	6-8	2845 Summit Blvd	West Palm Beach	33406	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	Yes	No	No	Yes	(561) 641-4449	324	15	21.0	57.7%	28 (8.6%)	24 (7.4%)	263 (81.2%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	33.1	871^st of 1216 public middle schools	28.4%		35.9	803^rd of 1205 public middle schools	33.4%	68	57.0	46.0	53.0	54.0	49.0	31.0	35.0	57.0			72.0	$8,230	$807	$7,423
Conniston Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	3630 Parker Ave	West Palm Beach	33405	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 802-5400	1,153	74	15.5	60.3%	147 (12.7%)	160 (13.9%)	816 (70.8%)	9 (0.8%)	9 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.0%)	32.6	880^th of 1216 public middle schools	27.6%		29.4	891^st of 1205 public middle schools	26.1%	11	58.0	49.0	49.0	41.0	25.0	53.0	41.0	88.0	100.0		62.0	$14,398	$1,205	$13,193
Lantana Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1225 W Drew St	Lantana	33462	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 540-3400	819	52	15.7	65.8%	62 (7.6%)	331 (40.4%)	390 (47.6%)	5 (0.6%)	15 (1.8%)	3 (0.4%)	13 (1.6%)	27.4	951^st of 1216 public middle schools	21.8%		19.5	1012^th of 1205 public middle schools	16.0%	61	47.0	51.0	43.0	49.0	24.0	55.0	33.0	76.0	90.0		78.0	$16,350	$1,299	$15,051
L C Swain Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	5332 Lake Worth Rd	Greenacres	33463	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 649-6900	1,275	82	15.5	65.7%	78 (6.1%)	181 (14.2%)	968 (75.9%)	18 (1.4%)	16 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.1%)	24.7	981^st of 1216 public middle schools	19.3%		23	964^th of 1205 public middle schools	20.0%	17	42.0	47.0	38.0	35.0		54.0	31.0	85.0	92.0		56.0	$14,212	$1,180	$13,032
Tradewinds Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	5090 Haverhill Rd S	Greenacres	33463	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 493-6400	816	49	16.8	60.7%	60 (7.4%)	322 (39.5%)	372 (45.6%)	18 (2.2%)	27 (3.3%)	2 (0.2%)	15 (1.8%)	35	847^th of 1216 public middle schools	30.3%		26.7	924^th of 1205 public middle schools	23.3%	77	48.0	48.0	50.0	47.0	42.0	54.0	52.0	98.0	100.0		81.0	$15,244	$1,080	$14,163
Okeeheelee Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2200 Pinehurst Dr	Greenacres	33413	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	No	Yes	No	Yes	(561) 434-3200	1,401	79	17.8	60.3%	99 (7.1%)	208 (14.8%)	1,044 (74.5%)	15 (1.1%)	18 (1.3%)	2 (0.1%)	15 (1.1%)	40	773^rd of 1216 public middle schools	36.4%		44	685^th of 1205 public middle schools	43.2%	88	53.0	53.0	51.0	50.0		58.0	45.0	91.0	89.0		67.0	$13,052	$987	$12,066
South Technical Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	1325 Gateway Blvd	Boynton Beach	33426	Palm Beach County	Palm Beach	Yes	No	No	No	(561) 318-8087	529	28	18.9	62.9%	21 (4.0%)	294 (55.6%)	205 (38.8%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	66.8	365^th of 1216 public middle schools	70.0%		63	419^th of 1205 public middle schools	65.2%	54	77.0	74.0	82.0	68.0	45.0	67.0	42.0	89.0		95.0	75.0	$10,498	$1,775	$8,723

Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Worth Community Middle

What district is Lake Worth Community Middle in?

Palm Beach

How many students attend Lake Worth Community Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,136 students attended Lake Worth Community Middle.

Is Lake Worth Community Middle a good school?

Lake Worth Community Middle ranks in the bottom 12.2% of Florida middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Lake Worth Community Middle attend?

Students who attend Lake Worth Community Middle usually go on to attend Lake Worth High School

What is the racial makeup of Lake Worth Community Middle?

Students at Lake Worth Community Middle are 66% Hispanic, 23% African American, 6% White, 3% American Indian.

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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.